


Abide

by J-Bfan (Mysterie), JackfrostTruefrost300



Series: Mortal Guardians [11]
Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Angst, Cutting, Darkness, F/M, Love, M/M, Multi, Older Jamie, Self Harm, Spirit Jamie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-04 19:05:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 33,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4149402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysterie/pseuds/J-Bfan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackfrostTruefrost300/pseuds/JackfrostTruefrost300
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has taken upon himself to help the newest winter spirit, Andrew, get on his feet, but it's not easy for either one of them due to the dark past that haunts them both. Jack's issue with Andrew is the least of his worries...</p><p>[11th installment, sequel to Penance]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not Yet Free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It isn't over yet...

Andrew stares up at Jack, shaking a little though he slowly seems to settle once Jack touches the ground.  
  
"M-maybe s-someday." Jack chuckles.

"It'll come to you one day and you won't be able to help the winds trying to lift you up." He smiles as he manages to get the boy to let go of his leg and float along side his friend, wind who took a solid form in air.

"Andrew meet north wind she's had my back for years I'm sure you'll have your very own wind friend some day but for now you will be flying on north wind." Andrew waves a little at the north wind, a little shy. Jack smiles

"It's okay, she won't bite; wind say hello." The wind flies around Andrew, happy to see a new face and ruffles his hair like she did Jack. He giggles a little when she ruffles his hair like she did with Jack, though he still looks at her shyly. Jack smiles.

"I'm gonna go to bed, you two get acquainted with each other then." Andrew stod staring at the spirit, not sure what to say to it... Mysterie stays with Andrew for the time being until he gets comfortable with the north wind. Jamie is still up and seems a little amused by the exchange Mysterie shares with him. She whispers to Jamie a thought that had come to mind and Jamie only chuckles, agreeing that the boy was good for Jack and he wouldn't mind the new frost spirit around. As Jack is dreaming, ever so slowly the dreams darkened to that of his memories with those men.

"No..." He tosses and turns in his sleep and is entangled in the blanket; he fights to get out, screaming and yelling. Jamie slips into the dreams, having enough energy to calm Jack and push back the memories for a moment to allow him to sleep better before he slips into sleep himself. Jack sighs in contentment, unaware he'd projected his nightmares to Andrew and Mysterie. Andrew didn't notice they were projections. The first flash of the memory had sent him into a flashback of his own and he'd reeled back from it. Whimpering even as she does her best to calm him down, reassuring the wind spirit that it isn't her Andrew is afraid of. Jack is deeply asleep, not wakening the next morning. Andrew had his own problems as he slept restlessly that night, plagued by his own nightmares. Mysterie ended up staying with Andrew half the night to help him sleep at all... though she didn't sleep herself. Although usually Jack is awake at this time, he is still sleeping.  

_"What the heck is going on?" Jackson comes down from one of the trees his eyes are pure red._

_"W_ _hoa Jackson are you-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as Jackson slammed him into a tree with ice spikes._

_"HEY!" Jack's face is scrunched up in slight pain as in his mind he is pierced in one arm, he looks at Jackson in pure fear; what was he doing... why was he doing it?_

_"Get rid of the child." Jack shakes his head._

_"What? Why!?" Jack shudders._

_"JACKSON STOP!" He struggles, trying to free his arm but he's stopped as the red-eyed demon in front of him pushes it in deeper._

 

 

Mysterie sits next to Andrew the next morning, sighing a little. Now she has two of them to look after it seems, but she hopes that maybe he will help Jack mend a little... if only the boy had the courage to talk about it... maybe then... then they could face it together... but he is just a child... Andrew whimpers in his sleep suddenly, the nightmare taking him back to a time he didn't want to remember... a time he wish hadn't happened... It was the first time he'd seen Jack... Mysterie tries to pull him out of it, but she can't. Her influence over the dream isn't strong enough.  
  
"No... no... please..." Andrew whimpers out. Mysterie couldn't call on Jamie, he is still too weak... so she reaches across the bond to Jack.  
  
_"Jack! Jack!"_ Andrew curls up, sobbing in his sleep. Jack can't really get to her as Jackson all but sent hell fire at her. Jack gasps.

_"Jackson why are you doing this!!" He chuckles darkly._

_"Revenge my dear pet." Jack head cocks at that... pet?_

_"PET!?" He recognizes the voice._

_"Not you... not you... plz not you..."_

Mysterie senses a problem, she doesn't want to leave Andrew... but she realizes she doesn't have a choice even as she manages to redirect the fire. She sends the fire he sends at her right back at him with a snarl as she slips into the dreamscape.  
  
_"What the hell?!" Jackson smiles._

 _"Why wasn't it nice of you to join the party." He smiles as ropes wrap around her, Jack breathes heavily as he holds him by the throat, Jack struggles but it is a death grip. She burns the ropes around her, growling._  
  
_"What the hell has gotten into you?" She snarls as she storms towards him. She stops in front of him, narrowing her eyes._  
  
_"Let go. Now. I'm not asking and I won't say it again." He snickers._

_"No." Death's touch is a painful thing, when touched to the immortals; in that fact the darkness wraps around her. Jack struggles for air, losing consciousness slowly; bringing my face close to his._

_"Now you will do as I ask Jack..." Mysterie staggers a little, it is painful... but she had experience with this. Panting a little, she growls and she reaches out with both hands, wrapping them around his throat and squeezing suddenly. She blazes like a miniature sun, her power swirling about her despite the darkness._  
  
"Try again... because you aren't even close..."  She growls. Jackson snarls, pushing her off him; breaking her arm as he spun her away as Jack loses consciousness and is dropped to the ground.

 _"News flash Mysterie, he's mine and he'll always be mine!" He screams, darkness blazing almost snuffing out the light as the darkness is ancient, it is familiar like the book's darkness._ She snarls back.

 

  
  
"Not so long as I live!" Despite how harsh the blow, her light refuses to go out... She growls as her light flares again. She had to protect Jack... and Andrew... and Jamie... She had someone to protect... that was more than enough to keep her light blazing as she steps between Jack and Jackson.  
  
"Try all you want... but as long as I'm alive I will stand between you and him... I will be his light." He growls.

 _"_ _You may be his light, you may protect him and everyone else.... but you can't save him. It's inevitable, he has darkness in him and no matter what you do you can't get rid of it." He snickers as Jack flinches, feeling a small part of it squirming in him; that tiny dot seems bigger than usual, the darkness is trying to take over. Mysterie snarls, forcing the darkness away with her light; doing so sends stabbing pain through her because this darkness is older than she is... it was ... different... but she could still get it to back off nonetheless._  
  
"As long as I'm around you can't have him... get that through your bloody thick skull!" It hisses and disappears in darkness.

 _"Very well you may keep him, for now, but we'll be back."_ Jack whimpers as it hisses before the dream scape closes and Jack awakes, breathing heavily; eyes half glazed black as the darkness is seeping from him and into the hole it created as a home to hide undetected inside Jack. Mysterie felt so drained... She lays next to Andrew who whimpers in his sleep. She reaches out to Jack again over the bond, she is too drained to even try anything now to help Andrew who whimpers out.  
  
"Please... I'll be good... please no..." Jack shakes his head as he wakes up, immediately sitting by Andrew, petting his head.

"Shh shh.... Andrew it's alright they can't hurt you now, you're home." Jack whispers sweetly and gently, wiping away tears and sweat. Andrew shakes, whimpering as he finally pulls himself from the nightmare. He wraps his arms around Jack, shaking in fear and sorrow; sobbing quietly while Mysterie drops off from exhaustion. Jack shushes him.

"It's okay now, you'r not there you're with me, Mysterie and Jamie now." Jack rocks him until he drops off again. Andrew sleeps for a little while before waking again, but not because of a nightmare, this time out of a small sense of guilt. He had been one of the older kids... he wasn't supposed to need to be rocked to sleep by someone else... but he couldn't deny he liked the feel of it. With a silent sigh he snuggles closer to Jack like a child does a parent offering comfort. Jack has fallen asleep, his head now on Andrew's head, his eyes had bags as he awoke from nightmares that Jamie couldn't push away. The next morning Jack finds Andrew curled up next to him asleep, on the other side of him Mysterie is out like a light. Jack sighs and tries not to disturb Andrew as the boy had his arms wrapped tightly around Jack's neck in his sleep, like he was a teddy bear. Andrew stirs after a moment, sighing a little as he slowly wakes up. Jack feels tears come to his eyes as one of those dreams from last night was the children's raping; in closer inspection... Andrew had been there and forced to watch, Jack gasps at that realization. 

"Jack." He murmurs softly, looking up at the older winter spirit. Jack closes his eyes a second before he looks at Andrew after wiping his eyes.

"Y-Yes?" His voice cracks and he winces at that.

"Does it ever stop? T-the n-nightmares... the pain... the... guilt?" He asks quietly, his eyes red from all the crying he'd done last night. His first night of freedom... but he wasn't really free...


	2. A Possible Future

Jack shakes a little at Andrew's question.

"Y-yes." He hesitated a moment, he doesn't want the boy to lose hope he could run from his own hellish memories while Jack is still fighting his own but he didn't like lying either.

"Yes, just dont give in to them ok? Just fight, no matter what have h-hope." His voice cracks again. He nods, holding onto Jack tightly, whispering quietly as tears sprang into his eyes again.  
  
"I'm sorry you were dragged into that..." Jack shakes his head.

"It's not your fault... none of it was y-your fault." Jack feels tears come into his eyes again.

"Please stay here, I just need time to take anger out on something... ok?" Jack hugs him tightly before walking in the winter's training area; instead of taking his anger out he sighs.

"Mysterie's gonna kill me for this... I am so clean but I..." He is unaware that winter spirits were in the area as he makes his first cut on his arm in years, hissing between his teeth; as he had been so clean from cutting that pain was back in his arms... Mysterie is was too exhausted to notice, but Jamie isn't and the bond ripples strongly with his displeasure as he is obviously awake. Andrew didn't have a clue. His power in terms of bonds is too weak and he really hasn't made a proper bond with Jack, as he'd said it had been Mysterie who'd been maintaining it the first time when she'd had him talk to Jack over the bond to get him to come back. Jack sighs, feeling his displeasure as he cuts yet another streak and the winters are starting to walk over, some with stern gazes. Most of them were disapproving; among them is Mandy who instead of just walking, flies straight over to Jack and snatches the blade before he could make another cut.  
  
"Have you lost it?! I'd think you'd know better than this!"  She scowls, keeping the bloody blade out of his reach. Jack scowls back and folds his arms, ignoring the others. 

"Get rid of this!" Mandy tosses the offending thing to one of the surprised spirits nearby while she turns back to you, fury written on her young face.  
  
"You should find betta' things to do with your temper! I 'spected mores from you!" Jack huffs under his breath, anger rising.

"Yeah like you had to deal what I have to deal with." He mumbles under his breath, some catching and gasping in disgusted anger at his choosing to cut. She crossed her arms.  
  
"Maybe I haven't... but that no excuse! You have spirits looking up to ya! What do you think they say if they find out? What about the new winter? What are you going to tell HIM if he catches you?"  She scowls, not backing down as she ices over the wounds so that they'd stop bleeding; though she knew he could do that himself she also knew he wasn't likely to anytime soon.

"WELL I DON'T CARE! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! YOU'RE JUST A... A LITTLE KID!" Jack burst, shocking everyone that he is yelling at a child, basically, and he takes off angry; in his wake he rips down some sculptures of his own that were the lime light of the winter's area. After a while, Andrew moves out to the winter area, his jaw dropping at the destruction while the winter spirits just stand in shock. 

 

  
  
"Wha.... what happened here?" No one answers as they go to repairing the damage as best as they can, but it is a poor imitation and it takes Andrew's touch to re-create the sculptures that Jack had destroyed to their former glory. Right now he is flying over China, snowing on them, in his anger; it grows and so does the darkness, which is pissing him off more with the memories as of lately. Jamie reaches out along the bond, worry rippling over it now.... his voice faint over the bond.  
  
_"Jack... don't... please..."_ Jack shudders from it.

"I can't Jamie... I can't stop." His tears were falling, the darkness is sinking in; it laughs at Jamie's attempts to push it away from Jack long enough for Jack to hear him as he all but snows China to a deathly cold that has already killed most of the population. Jamie cries out to Jack, reaching for him as best he can... but even so he can't undo what Jack's done.  
  
_"Jack... you can stop this... you know how... please..."_ It is the last thing he manages before exhaustion overtakes him and he drops into a restless sleep. Jack fights with his anger, himself, but it overrules his want to stop the storm; only fueling it, the area is dead no one survives the storm and only a few are alive in China. Andrew is blissfully unaware of the damage, but the Guardians are not and they go after Jack to pull him back from the country before he does anymore damage... before Jack does anything else that he regrets. Jack goes unconscious as he is hit with a boomerang while fighting them.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" He screams, moments before, over the storm which lashes out at each of them. Tooth catches Jack as he drops and they take him back to the pole. Each wondering what could have happened to put Jack in such a state.... So they try to reach Mysterie, but she's all but unconscious in her sleep still and doesn't hear the comm ringing. This worries North, who had made the call and the others begin talking among themselves about this and what it can mean... Jack awoke an hour later.

"Ugh... what happened?" He feels like he ran a marathon, his energy is low, but still strong. He looks around at the four blue walls of his room at North's.

"How'd I get here?" All the events from last night are fuzzy to him. The door opens and it's Bunny who comes in, shutting the door behind him.  
  
"I see yer awake. How you feel mate?"

"Like I was hit by a truck." He rubs his head, his body hurt.... a lot and he feels only pain. 

"Eh, well I guess can't blame ya there. Quite the storm was whipped up. You gave us quite the scare mate... and not just us... few others too... And... well, we're worried about your mates too... can't get ahold of 'em. 'Course only Mysterie has a comm... speaking o' which... North said to give you these." Bunny sets a small sack down next to Jack that contains four comms, why four he'd no idea, but there they were and they are updated. Jack nods, shaking his head.

"Everything's a blur... what happened last night?" He looks at his cut up and now healing scars.

"Oh." He shakes his head, the storm still brewing in him and it pounds outside the North Pole; animals are even running towards the shop for warmth, the reindeer are kicking at stalls to get inside the pole also. Jack shakes his head, the storm growing worse as his fears and guilt are growing.

 

 

"Whoa! Reign it in a little mate... you going to freeze us all over if ya don't. Look, we get things aren't perfect for ya, but um... a little restraint please..." Bunny has noticed the commotion; it is hard not to with his ears. Jack shakes his head, forcing it down, but it springs back up with force.

"Bunny... it's not easy controlling your powers and emotions at the same time; if they're wild... so are my powers." He says, guilt eating him inside, darkness trying to take control of him at same time.

"God I wish it would all just STOP!" When it does, the noise stops; everything has stopped and it is silent. No noise, nothing; only the sound of his breathing is heard. Bunny doesn't say a word. Although, what was there to say when everything around him had just come to a sudden standstill the moment Jack had spoken? Bunny is frozen as well, but not in ice... Although what has stopped isn't just sound, everything around him has, but it isn't really Jack's doing... well, not all of it anyway. A familiar looking pair of blue eyes beneath blonde hair peers from the doorway.  
  
"Well now... I thought I'd drop by a tick... knowing how tough this point in time is for you." Jack breathes heavily.

"Father Time, what are you doing here?" The storm is gone but his head hurts. 

"What else? Thought maybe you might use a moment in time to sort things out. Excuse the pun." Jack breathes heavily.

"What is there to sort out anymore? My life's a jumbled mess, except..." He thought then of Mysterie, Jamie and Andrew.

"It's not that big a mess, just... I can't take the pain anymore. I might as well let darkness take me over."

"Hmmmm, well that is one path yes... but there is another one. Curious are you?" He fiddles with a silver pocket watch, the same that he'd once given Jack when he'd visited him the first time. Jack nods, as curious as ever.

"What would happen if I let it take over though..." He asks himself quietly. With a slight smile he holds out the watch.  
  
"Turn it forward to see what will happen if you allow it to. Turn it back for the other possible future... you realize neither is currently set in stone... but they are the most likely what will happen." Jack nods and turns it forward, unaware to any of what could happen... For a moment everything around Jack fades to black, when things return to focus he finds himself alone in his room. None of the Guardians seem to be around and the place is almost eerily quiet save for soft murmurs from a room. Most of the lights are out except for some dim firelight in one of the lounge rooms, soft voices of the other Guardians can be heard.

"What are we ta do mate? I nearly got frostbitten last time and Tooth..." The name comes out on a near sob.

"I know... I know... but we must keep trying. Must not lose hope." North replies quietly.

"We're doing what we can for the humans... but I don't know how much longer either one of us will hold out... especially not against two... I can only match him for so long and Jamie was weak to begin with..." Mysterie says softly.

"He never gave up on us... we... we have to k-keep trying..." It's Jamie's voice, but he sounds so very tired now.


	3. Two Futures, One Choice

Jack can only continue watching the scene play out.

"What's going on? Jamie? North? Bunny... Tooth... Sandy GUYS?!" Since it is only a glimpse, of course they can't hear Jack... but there is a soft crackling of ice from nearby.  
  
"Wait... hear that?" Bunny asks softly. Everyone is still... there is the soft sound of a child's laughter and then suddenly all hell seems to break loose as Andrew shatters a window. His eyes a blue so dark they are nearly black.  
  
"Found YOU!" He calls out in childish laughter. Chaos quickly ensues as Mysterie and Jamie try and fend off his ice while Bunny and North run for it.... they are the only other Guardians besides Jamie and herself. Fending off a blow of fire from Mysterie, Andrew slams Jamie against a wall, Jamie lets out a groan even as Andrew grins; wielding a staff made of pure black ice.  
  
"Sit tight... Jack's got special plans for you little night light..." Andrew shackles him to the wall with black ice before fending off more of Mysterie's fire as she struggles against Andrew, trying to keep his ice from touching her.  
  
"Just go!" Jamie shouts.  
  
"No! I'm not leaving you behind!" Jamie doesn't give her a choice... his light wrapping around her and teleporting her away, Andrew's ice slamming into the spot where she'd been just seconds before. Jack's jaw drops.

"No... no..." Andrew slams the staff down in frustration but then turns with a sickeningly sweet twisted grin to Jamie.

"How noble of you... Nap time." Andrew slams the butt of his staff against Jamie's head, knocking Jamie out before he wraps him in a cocoon of ice and flies out of the workshop with his little prize. Jack is shocked, to say the least, where was he? What is going on why is Andrew like _that_?!

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!!"

"Ow.... geez you have a set of lungs." Father Time wiggles one finger in his left ear. Jack looks at Father Time.

"What's going on?! Please... what is happening? Where is he taking Jamie?"

"Well ... let's see... I believe in this time line you've pretty much taken over everything... taken down two of the remaining Guardians at this point... As for Jamie... well I imagine you can gather from what he said where he's taking him. To wherever your counterpart here happens to be.... which isn't really a stable place at the moment... apparently you like moving around a lot... Let me see here...." He fiddles with what looks like a sundial except that it has various places on it instead of just numbers.  
  
"Ah... yeah... looks like he's heading for your home town. Central for a lot of the things you do really." Jack's eyes widen, even knowing it wouldn't happen because it isn't set in stone.... 

"Anyway... this isn't like the mirrors... you want to find out you will have to follow them... otherwise you won't know what happens. Choose carefully, you can't see it all..." Father Time says before disappearing.

 

 

Jack shudders he had to know more... see more of what could happen on his paths... Two choices lay before him... Jack could hunt down the Guardians... or he could follow Andrew... He chose to follow Andrew. Andrew has taken Jamie to what was once his ice palace. The ice part is intact, but the inside is different... every part of the beautiful ice now twisted with dark ice and sculptures of massacres. Other than the lounge area, the stone part of it is utterly destroyed or blocked by rubble. Andrew walks into the room that had once been a lounge room, now it is sort of a throne room in that it held only one chair and Jack occupied that chair.  
  
"Were you successful?" Jack's counterpart asks in a low tone.  
  
"Partly. This one sacrificed himself so that the others got away, including her. I'll get her next time though, you can bet on it. The others can't protect her. Once we have her too there won't be anyone to oppose us." Andrew smirks laying the prize at the other's feet. A dark smile crosses his features while Jack just watches.  
  
"Excellent. Leave us... I have such great fun planned for our new guest..." Andrew cackles a little and flies off. 

"No... No this this isn't right! None of this is right!" Jack yells, not wanting to see anymore he turns back the watch.

"I don't want to see anymore time... I know now I can't let it take me over... I know now." The scene around him fades to black the moment he turns back the watch. When things began to shimmer back around him everything was as he knew it to be for the room, all the chairs were there. Andrew is pacing in the room, he seems to be waiting for someone or something. Jack is confused, what was going on? Jamie comes into the room, chuckling and Andrew stops looking up expectantly.  
  
"One would think you were the father." Andrew flushes though, but with excitement.  
  
"Is it here?"   
  
"Almost." Jamie replies, the next moment a wail pierces the air... it's the cry of a baby. Andrew's eyes widen and he takes off quickly with Jamie chuckling behind him. Jack is shocked.

"What's going on... what is this?"

"Why not go see?" Father Time says with a chuckle, walking after the two; heading for the bedroom whose door is open. Jack follows slightly nervous, just as nervous as Andrew had just been. When Jack finally gets to the room he sees that his counterpart is sitting on the edge of the bed that Mysterie is propped up in. Tooth is disposing of bloodied towels, Mysterie was holding the small child as Andrew slowly creeps over to the other side of the bed. Mysterie smiles a little at Andrew.  
  
"It's alright. Come meet your new sister." Andrew moves over to peer down at the baby that finally had quieted down. Father Time stands against one wall, out of the way, as Jamie stands behind Andrew with a slight smile.

 

 

Jack is unsure what is going on.... whose baby is that? Why is his counterpart smiling? _What's going on?_ The thoughts and questions going through his mind. 

"New life... always a wonder isn't it? I wager you can guess who the father is ... if you think about it long enough." Father Time chuckles a little, watching the little family. Jack's eyes widen.

"Y-you mean..." He walks over by his counterpart looking at the little bundle which he uncovers to see crystal blue eyes with brown hair. Father Time didn't answer, the little child looks up at his counterpart, at her father.  
  
"What do you think we should name her?" Mysterie asks, looking at Jack's counterpart. Jack is in shock at the similarities between him and Mysterie in the baby. The counterpart murmurs something too low for Jack to hear and Mysterie smiles.  
  
"That's perfect..." Jack smiles, what ever the name is he is sure it is as beautiful as the child.

"How did this happen?"

"Now that would be telling wouldn't it?" Father Time says with a smile.  
  
"I can't tell you everything Jack. One shouldn't know too much about their own future after all... these are only possibilities. Things that may happen depending on your choices and what those around you do. The future isn't set in stone. For all I know there is a third option... and it's the path you take." Jack sighs.

"Take me back to the present time." Jack looks at him, smiling.

"I know what my path is now." Father Time chuckles a little and moves over to Jack. He touches the watch, but he doesn't take it back this time. Leaving it with Jack as the scene around him grows dark a moment before Jack finds himself back where he was; in his room with Bunny, for a moment everything is still frozen, then time returns and Bunny - who was none-the-wiser of the interruption, goes on.  
  
"Things ain't always gonna be the way ya want 'em, but they won't always be so bad either." Jack smiles.

"Yeah, I know." The storm halts at his will.

"And I'm happy with my life the way it is." He walks past the dumbfounded Bunny. Bunny just stares as Jack walks past... What the hay? Had he just missed something? Well... at least the storm has stopped... Jack walks downstairs.

"Hey guys, good morning."

"Iz good to see you up Jack."

   
"Hi Jack." Tooth says as Sandy waves, they all seem relieved that Jack's calmed down again.


	4. Anchors

Jack smiles, yawning and grabbing a eggnog from Sandy whose ears steam sand; he sits in the chair close to the fire, fascinated by the fact he can sit by it now. Sandy rolls his eyes at Jack once he gets over the fact that the winter spirit stole his eggnog before grabbing another glass. North and Tooth giggle a little. Jack sips it, watching the flames dance before his eyes. Andrew settles for watching some of the other winter spirits practice for the day, he couldn't help but wonder where Jack had gotten to. Mysterie keeps him company for the remainder of the day, reassuring him that Jack had likely just gone to spread some snow and would be back later. She doesn't say anything about what she'd heard had happened and what Jamie had told her over the bond when he'd awoken again. Jack is afraid to return, he knows Mysterie will be mad, Jamie would be mad and the winters were definitely mad at him. Mysterie isn't really that mad, she is only concerned that he hasn't returned yet. As for Jamie, he is sleeping again. The rest of the winter spirits have mostly worked off their irritation with some meditation she'd led or by making some snowmen and then destroying them before rebuilding them again once they'd calmed down. Jack sighs.

"I think its time I head back... you know, thanks for... um stopping me I guess." Jack floats to the window. 

"Jack... you know you can come to us if you need help... right?" Tooth asks hesitantly, the others nod in agreement with her. Jack nods, not saying a word; he opens a window, in which wind scoops him up, but not before he drops the bloody razor in his pocket as he flies off; it makes a metal clang, not deafening, but loud for everyone to hear. They simply stare, a mix of sorrow and horror that he still had something like that.... Jack sighs chancing, himself as he slowly lands in spring only to get a glare from the spirits and sympathetic stares; he walks away from them... each season it is all the same. Everyone knows about his cutting, he runs for the little cave, walking inside; he leans against the wall, his heart pounding. 

"Jack?" It is Jamie, he is sitting in one of the chairs just beyond the sand "curtain" a book in one hand. Mysterie hasn't noticed that he'd gotten up and was spending some time reading as she is mostly focusing on Andrew. Jack shakes a little, not wanting to be seen just yet, Guilt drank up the guilt he is giving off; he flies into the hammock he'd made and covers himself with a blanket to look like... well a blanket and pillows. Jamie sighs a little, but he doesn't follow Jack. Still, a gentle touch from him comes across the bond; he doesn't seem mad, just worried and a little sad. Jack gently touches the bond, sorry written all over it and worry going through the bond; the scars are infected, icing them isn't helping and he whines in pain as his arms hurt and the scars around it are bleeding again. Brown around the sliced scars from infection as the ice had done nothing to stop it. Jamie gently pokes at Mysterie through the bond and she sighs a little inwardly, sending her sand to deal with the cuts while Jamie sends his power through Jack to deal with the pain. Reassuring Jack that things are okay over the bond.

 _"I broke my promise to Bunny I would stop... as well as to you guys."_ His 'voice' is like glass, broken. Mysterie sends over a soft sigh before sending a gentle embrace to follow before saying over the bond.

 _"These things take time Jack, you can't just break a 300 year old habit over night... relapses are bound to happen Jack. With all you've been through, I'd be surprised if they didn't."_ Jack shudders.

 _"But I want it to stop so much..."_ She sighs a little, giving Jack a mental hug as she answers back.

 _"I know, and it helps to, but you can't beat yourself up for having a relapse. Until you're used to us helping you with things, it's going to happen. You are going to struggle, I told you that this wasn't going to be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is."_ Jack sniffles.

 _"I just want it all to stop."_  

 

 

 _"It will, it will; it just takes time."_ She replies soothing. Jack feels calmer, more sleepy apparently; he lost more blood than necessary and went unconscious. Mysterie knew sleep would be all Jack needed for the moment, she could heal wounds, but his body would have to replace the lost blood on its own. She wasn't a miracle worker after all. Jack coughs a little in his sleep, shivering as the blood loss made him feel extremely cold, unusual cold. Jamie would have gone to keep Jack company but he still doesn't have the strength and resigns himself to crawling back into the bed to take a nap to keep Jack company in his dreams, it was all he can do. Jack dreams of the little balcony in on the castle.

He sighs, looking down at the snowy landscape below. Jamie floats beneath the balcony a moment before deciding to roll up a snowman by hand, like he had when he was a little kid. Jack looks out at the sunset, it is darkening a little bit like black... Jamie notices and frowns, pushing the darkness away as he continues to roll up the base of the snowman. Jack slowly floats down to help make the snowman, no words are exchanged but he smiles as he creates the snowman with bunny ears. Jamie grins a little, balling up a bit of snow to stick on the back to work as the tail. Jack looks at it then towards Jamie, then he adds a button nose, eyes and icicle whiskers and a boomerang for the bunny. Jamie laughs a little and starts making a second snowman, that he uses so much snow for the base makes it obvious he is planning on making a North snowman next. Jack smiles as he starts to make small snow fairies and a Tooth sculpture completely made out of snow. Jamie chuckles, making a snow version of Jack next. Jack laughs.

"Dang Jamie, you're just as good as me." Jack makes a snow Jamie, Mysterie and an Andrew. Jamie chuckles a little. 

"Ah... well Mysterie has been helping me in terms of manipulating elements in dreams... I don't think I could do quite this good with real snow... not to say I have tried yet. Ice is one thing, but snow is just a little different." Jack smiles.

"Making all the Guardians." He makes Sandy in his bi-plane. Jamie works on adding a few details to North, building an elf next to him and then working on a yeti too. Jack sees the details in his mind that can be added to Sandy and he adds them. Once he's done, Jamie steps back to examine the group of snow figures. Jack smiles

"It's beautiful, I should add that to my mind scape." Jamie grins a little.  
  
"Yeah... but I feel like something is missing...." He moves off a few paces and starts working with the snow again. Jack nods.

"Something does feel missing." Before he knew it Jamie had built his sister, followed by his mother, and then his friends... as they had once been as kids. Jack smiles, at the family.

"That's what was missing." Jamie even built a younger version of himself with them. Jack smiles as he slowly makes a familiar figure in his old life, his sister. Once that is done Jamie flies back to look at the group of snow figures. Jack finishes his family as best he knew of their faces, he stands back, smiling at the creations they'd made. Jack leans on Jamie, feeling faint; Jamie puts an arm around him, he does his best to stifle a yawn. This is tiring, but he doesn't regret it.

"That looks right." Jamie says with a smile. Jack smiled upward, eyes closing; his eyes opening to being awake. He stretches out, standing up from the hammock; Jack goes towards the kitchen to wash some pans and make breakfast. Jamie sinks into a deeper sleep once Jack has woken up. Jack washes all the pans and pots, bringing out flowers and such.

 

 

Mysterie relaxes in the winter section with Andrew who is practicing his control of snow next to her. He had created a single snowflake and is working on controlling its movements in the air; they aren't as graceful as Jack's, but they aren't stilted either. Jack sighs, looking at his kitchen knives; he closes the drawer and decides simple toast will do for today. Mysterie simply watches, she doesn't have enough experience to give Andrew any pointers. Jack sighs, feeling irritated; he slams the pan down as he has taken courage in making pancakes but the fumbling of Andrew was stronger than the desire to make food. He flies towards the area Mysterie and Andrew are at, wincing at the looks other winters are giving him. The other winters back down though when Mysterie scowls at them when she sees them watching Jack and they go back to what they had been doing. They weren't about to cross her for a number of reasons. Andrew continues his practice, too focused to notice anything at the moment but where he is making the snowflake go. Jack smiles at that and creates a snowflake that floats next to Andrew's and then guides his snowflake up and down a simple line. Andrew notices and his snowflake stops a moment, he glances over at Jack with a smile before turning his attention back to his snowflake to have it follow the simple pattern. Jack smiles, going criss cross; seeing if he could follow that, many winter spirits smile at the display of the snowflakes and Jack's focused mind. Andrew follows the pattern, a little shaky at first before it evens out; Jack smiles and adds two more snowflakes. Andrew notices and grins at the challenge, he makes another two snowflakes, each one following the pattern. Jack smiles more, making a zig zag star. Mysterie smiles a little, watching Andrew copy Jack; Jack smirks, pulling out a billion snowflakes and creating astral snow animals out of them. 

"No fair!" Andrew protests with a pout, not quite able to duplicate that yet, though it's not without trying. He manages several less, but makes a snow puppy out of the snowflakes he has. Jack smirks and adds to the snow puppy, it becomes a wolf. Andrew smirks at that, adding a few more flakes nearby to make a baby wolf that follows the bigger one around. Mysterie chuckles. Jack just smiles, it leans down, playing with the pup; Jack is so focused he doesn't even notice the other spirits around him. Some of the spirits that gather around whisper softly and Mysterie glares a little at them, shooing them off before the two of them become aware that the other spirits were beginning to think that Jack has adopted the boy as his own. There are enough rumors going around as it is. Even if it was true, none of them need - let alone want - the attention it brings. The tiny wolf pup wags its tail at the other, bounding around it. Jack is so happy with Andrew that he walks over to him, leaning down to hug him as the astral wolf did to the little pup. Andrew grins, returning the hug for a brief moment; Jack smiles.

"Andrew you're what keeps me sane in the end, as well as Mysterie and Jamie." Andrew blinks at that, surprise flickering in his gaze followed by a slight blush. Mysterie just smiles. Jack lets go of Andrew and starts to teach him forms of snow and ice to practice with. Andrew watches before attempting them himself. Jack smiles as he slowly teaches Andrew how to build miniature ice castles; Mysterie chuckles a little, working with her sand while the two of them work with snow and ice. Andrew's castle is smaller than Jack's but still a castle. Jack smiles.

"It's beautiful." He then makes his castle smaller to be the size he wants it. Andrew beams a little from the praise.

"Well I have been practicing. " Jack smiles.

"It's good practice." He slowly makes miniature horses and a drawn carriage, they move like the real thing. Andrew watches them for a moment before making miniature bandits to rob the tiny coach. Jack's expression turns to surprise.

"Why bandits?" He asks as he counteracts them by making tiny soldiers protect it. Andrew grins.

"Why not? I guess it's kinda all I know about that time..."


	5. A First Battle

Jack smiles.

"It's good." He smiles as the little soldiers put the miniature bandits in jail. Andrew smiles and his little badits sit in jail while tiny rattle snakes slither about. Jack smiles.

"It's amazing." Andrew grins, a few ice tumble weeds following. 

"It's awesome, maybe I can make this bigger." He starts to teach Andrew how to make things grow big.

"Watch closely now." He starts with the carriage, working on the carriage; making it bigger, the horses' eyes are snow and ice inside. Andrew watches closely with wonder sparking in his eyes as it grows. Jack smiles, looking at Andrew with encouragement.

"Now you try." Andrew nods and looks at one of his snakes. Slowly making it bigger... at first it's out of proportion but he fixes that quickly enough when he notices the eyes are a little too big. Jack smiles.

"Here." He taps the snake's head and the shape of everything becomes perfect. Andrew smiles a little. Noting what Jack's done, Jack smirks; hopping on a ice stag he has created and motions to a smaller one Andrew's size.

"Let's go for a ride in the forest." He smiles, pointing out the foresty part of the winter area. Andrew doesn't hesitate to scramble onto his. Hugging it around the neck, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Jack smiles, keeping his stag in control but giving Andrew control over his as well as they trotted into the woods; Jack smiles, telling Mysterie he'd see her later and soon they'd all be sitting down for dinner. Andrew fumbles a little, but manages to control his little stag. Mysterie waves happily to the two of them, watching the stags take off; Jack notices the little snow fairies following Andrew and thought: deja vu. He bats away the little sprites as they scatter and follow Jack and Andrew. Andrew wonders why they are following the two of them; Jack sighs, walking in front of Andrew's stag; his ears suddenly perk, body tense, teeth showing and snarling.

"Andrew run." Something isn't right. It is something dark... Andrew's stag is as perceptive as Jack and it rears in fright, Andrew yelps; landing smack on the ground as the stag takes off without him.  
  
"Ow! stupid stag!" Jack growls, putting Andrew gently on his own stag; he almost didn't dodge the rusty bloody blade that looks just like his cutting blade... Andrew clutches to the stag... he would be lying if he said he wasn't scared... but he wasn't scared of what was out there... It is the sight of the bloody blade that makes his eyes dilate in fear and he lets out a whimper. Flashing back to that time....  
  
"No..." He clings to the winter stag tightly... not aware of the world around him for the moment as he is thrust into a memory he sorely wished he didn't have... the feel of the blade against his skin... he didn't even fully realize he was crying. His whole body is shaking.  
  
"Please..." He whimpers; Jack turns to Andrew, unclenching him from the stag and rocking him and reassuring him that he is fine.

"Shh.. shh they're gone. They can't hurt you anymore... they have to go through me first."

 

 

Andrew shudders, trapped in the dark memory for a moment before his senses slowly begin to catch up with the world around him again. As Jack holds Andrew he hears snickering and dark laughter that is very close to his own.... Jack shivers.

"Jack, Jack didn't think you'd escape me did you?" He holds Andrew close, afraid to see him... afraid he is real now. Andrew shudders a little at the sound, unaware of who it is they are facing; he clings to Jack tightly. Jack growls as Frostbite comes into the clearing, he stays in front of Andrew.

"What do you want?" Frostbite laughs, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Don't you know I want you Jack?" The sound of the voice grated at Andrew, who feels scared and a tinge of anger at the same time. Who did this spirit think it was? Between being terrified and angry, was it any wonder then that he'd suddenly lasted out? A set of ice daggers flung through the air, though he really doesn't see the target for that moment. He doesn't need to... he could almost sense them through the air around him. Frostbite snickers as the daggers halt before him.

"Nice try kid, you got a lot to learn." Jack grits his teeth as the other sends memories to him, Jack shudders, whining.

"Oh so you _do_  remember... fun memories those were." The sound sends anger shooting through Andrew... how dare he... the temperature around them drops. Andrew shudders, a storm of anger and fear at once... a spike of dark ice shoots up from behind Frostbite before the other has time to react this time. Slamming into him like a battering ram. Andrew's eyes shining white as his emotions began stirring the elements of winter; Jack fights back memories only to see Frostbite smirk.

"You're just like Jack, Andrew... I wonder..." He sends the memories to Andrew, the dark ones that give him nightmares.

"Andrew no... please don't let your anger control you." Jack knows exactly what Frostbite is trying to do.

"Andrew!" Jack calls out over the storm. Andrew cries out, curling up with a whimper; tears falling as his fear spikes, terrified beyond reason. The winds howl suddenly, swirling in a torrent in response to the tortured child who shakes with fear now. 

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Jack cries, Frostbite smirks.

"What would you do for me if I leave the boy be?" He all but purrs, Jack growls. Frostbite doesn't have a chance to answer the growl because he is slammed by Mysterie's sand as she appears... and she is furious as she appears before Jack and Andrew, standing between the two.  
  
"If you don't want to be an impaled puddle I suggest you leave. NOW." She isn't the only one to appear, seconds later several seasonals of all four types of spirits had appeared behind the two of them and they are glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill.... Frostbite snarls.

"You wont be able to stop me from getting Jack and you know it!" He shows a fanged smirk to Jack.

"I am a part of him." Jack breathes heavily, backing up; knowing that dark smirk anywhere... it was the smile that means 'I'm not done with you yet.'

"There are ways of dealing with you." A fire spirit snarls as the seasonals move like one to protect Jack and Andrew from him, fire and earth joining Andrew's torrent winds as a warning. If he didn't leave now... he was going to risk being beaten by the angry spirits.

 

 

Frostbite laughs.

"You won't be able to keep me out mentally." He says as he disappears with the darkness.

"Time's running out Jack, best keep your barriers up 'cause I'm coming in whether you like it or not..." He leaves with chilling, dark laughter. Jack glares at the disappearing being.

"That bastard." Once he's gone, the spirits withdraw and the seasonal powers calmed, except for Andrew's torrent. The boy struggles with the power he's awoken, he'd never done anything like this and he is still so terrified. Jack gasps, fighting against the wind to reach the boy who's shivering between Mysterie and himself.

"Andrew, he's gone. It's ok, just calm down; it's ok, I'm here. I wont let anything happen to you ever." Jack says, trying to calm him and the powers down. As the boy curls into himself it becomes very obvious that, in a way... Frostbite is right... Andrew is like Jack in ways. He whimpers, trembling; while the winds calm beneath Jack's influence the boy isn't so easy... Jack sighs and hugs him close the entire time, wincing at each sob and cry, but with each sob he shh's him; telling him that he is there and nothing will hurt him; that they all love him and he doesn't need to worry anymore. Mysterie sighs softly, leaving the two of them alone; thinking about what to do about Frostbite. About what can be done. That one is a menace that just doesn't know when to stay away. Andrew begins to slowly relax again, his sobs becoming hiccups as he clings to Jack who picks him up, keeping him in his arms hushing him again before flying him back to the cavern. Andrew curled up against him, his fears subsiding slowly. Jack lays in the hammock with Andrew, mind stuck a little on what Frostbite said to him; he shudders, his eyes closing to put up his mental barriers... anything to keep **him** out. He sighs, his body relaxing as he falls asleep with Andrew in his arms, he is exhausted. Andrew is just as, if not more so and was soon out like a light; nightmares or no. Their dreams are not safe as they are infected with darkness, Jack whines; holding Andrew in a death grip.

"P-please go away." Jack shivers. Andrew whimpered in his own nightmare, one in particular that Frostbite's words had triggered...

_The boy struggled against the shackles, weeping... he didn't want this anymore than he knew Jack did... he cried all the harder because he knew it was his fault... he'd been caught trying to escape and they were going to force Jack to... as his punishment... It tore at him deeply; knowing that he'd dragged Jack into this... Jack hadn't done anything wrong!_

_Jack screams and fights, it is around the same time he was captured, the men hold him as they stripped him of what clothing that isn't shredded from the daily torture... Andrew cries harder, begging them to let Jack go.... but they didn't listen... they never did.... Jack kicks and fights, screaming in pain as they brand him... that is his first branding... Andrew bites his lip, he couldn't cry anymore tears now and any moment now.... Jack whines as it turns to beatings. Andrew shudders, he knew the drill... they always beat the one forced on him if they weren't willing.... A sob escaped him.... his spirits sinking. What chance did any of them have if they could hold Jack? Hope of ever escaping this nightmare begins fading... he'd only been here five months, but there were so many others and those who'd been there the longest... there was a blankness to their eyes that made Andrew shudder when he'd seen it but now he was beginning to understand it..._ Jack squirms in his rest, whimpering.

"N-no please... it's a child! Stop!" Andrew clings tighter to Jack in his sleep. 


	6. Living Nightmares

_He'd heard the protests before... they haunted him, but up until now all he'd gotten was beat. The shackles bit into his wrists and ankles as he struggles, but it is no use. There was no escape; a whimper rose in his throat, he didn't want this! Jack cries, begs... pleads... screams and is beaten mercilessly until he is forced in..._ Andrew shudders in his sleep, tears slipping down his face he whimpers out.  
  
"No... please... don't make him..." Jack awoke screaming "no!" to the end of the nightmare; he is a sweat soaked, shaking mess. Andrew has tangled himself in the hammock, still struggling in the nightmare. Jack gasps, disentangling himself and him; hugging him close, whispering and petting his hair. Sending impressions that it is ok over the bond. The nightmare refuses to let him go, tears slipping from him faster than the cold can freeze as his frame just shakes from the pain; pain he can't escape from...

"Andrew, wake up Andrew!" Jack resorts to shaking him. The boy wakes up with a cry, shaking like a leaf; tears streaming down his face. Jack holds him close.

"Was it them again?" He rocks Andrew, shushing him as he begins to sing a little melody his mom used to sing to him. Andrew didn't answer, he just hugs Jack close, quietly sobbing. Jack doesn't say anything, just continuing the melody. After a long moment he finally quiets down again, listening to the melody before he has the nerve to whisper softly the question that had come to mind along with the memory.  
  
"I... was I the first...?" Jack's eyes widen at that, clutching him close. He answers, voice sad.

"No." There was a tinge of sadness in his soft tone when he speaks again.  
  
"I see... it was for me... that first day.... I thought the beatings were bad enough until that day." Jack sniffs, burying himself in Andrew's hair, the emotion he feels now is just pure agony, he cries.

"I couldn't stop them... I'm a failure as a Guardian..." Andrew hugs Jack close, mumbling.  
  
"I don't think you are. They were bad men... and they had... things... I found one once and was beaten for trying to get rid of it so you could get away.... I broke it... I... I think it was their way of keeping your ice dormant... I never did know for sure... I just remember thinking that maybe I had helped when we all realized you'd gotten away..." Jack shivers.

"I should have gone back... I failed you." Jack continues crying. Andrew holds him more tightly.  
  
"It's not you fault... besides... you gave me the hope that I could escape too some day.... and I did. We all did eventually." Jack sniffles, memory after memory coming through, he keeps Andrew in his arms; his crying turning to hiccups. Andrew shifts to lean his head against Jack, but still be able to be heard.  
  
"I waited a full week before making my escape... I heard... a couple of days ago... what happened to those men and that one boy..." Jack whines, still remembering the branding... their faces.... the pain and beatings.... the stabs and whippings... Andrew doesn't say anything more as he just holds onto Jack, he feels calmer now. Jack is calming down slowly, sniffling a little.

 

 

Andrew sighs a little, relaxing back towards sleep again; Jack all but collapses into Andrew but he doesn't mind as he falls back asleep, this time into more peaceful dreams. Jack sighs, my mind is empty of dreams... only sleep; he wakes the next morning wrapped around Andrew. Andrew is curled up against Jack, shifting a little, but not really awake yet. He disentangles himself from Andrew, putting his feet on the floor as he stands, stretching. Jack holds his head as he has a major headache at the moment; Andrew protests a little. Mysterie is just waking herself. Having kept Jamie company. Jack whines and heads to the bathroom, splashing his face with water; he yelps and hits the bathroom wall seeing Frostbite picking his nails, leaning in a relaxed pose in the mirror... Mysterie heads to the kitchen to fix breakfast while Andrew and Jamie stir, debating a moment on what to make before deciding on omelettes, toast and hash browns. Jack whines.

"What are you doing here!" He yells at Frostbite who smirks.

 **"Oh, just came to damage what little sanity you have left so that I may take over."** Jack growls.

"Never gonna happen Frostbite." He chuckles.

 **"Jack, Jack, Jack... naive Jack. You have no choice, time's ticking; the sooner you give in the better off you'll be."** Jack glares at the other. Mysterie sets plates for the four of them, saying over the bond without too much fuss.

 _"Don't think it will be that easy..."_ Frostbite snarls at her.

 ** _I'll break him some time, just watch._**  He disappears with the message: tick tock Jack, your time's running out

Jack shivers and exits the bathroom to the table. Mysterie calls everyone to the table over the bond. Jamie is already there, Andrew appears a little shyly but smiles when Jamie smiles at him. Jack sits at the seat next to Andrew, eyes are slightly tired and droopy; he eats breakfast very slowly, sometimes he drops the fork. Andrew looks at Jack a bit worried before glancing at Mysterie. She shakes her head a little. Silently reassuring him this isn't unusual. Jack eats, slowly face planting into his breakfast, asleep.

"Zzz..." He snores loudly, shaking slightly; he is out cold. The meat slightly burning his face as it all had just been cooked; Andrew stares with mild worry while Mysterie's sand cleans him up and then moves him to bed. She smiles a little and murmurs softly.

"He has too good of a heart sometimes. You do too. Take care because the purest of intentions can be easily turned against you."

"Then... he should have left me by that tree."

"No. You've helped him more than anything Andrew. Don't ever let anyone tell you different. You're family now." Jamie nods as Andrew's eyes widen. Jack moves a little in his sleep, groaning slightly; he sleeps in all day, whimpering some. Jamie keeps Jack company, filtering some of the dreams, but he's not strong enough to filter all of them yet; something that frustrates him by the end of the day. Jack screams a blood curdling scream as he feels like he is being burned and drowned at the same time, as they had burned him every time he came up for air, an instinctual thing to do but still...

 

 

That is more than enough for Jamie to cry out to Mysterie and she interferes with the dream. Sending Jack into a deeper sleep where even memories can not surface. Jack stops whining and is deeply asleep, memories could not surface and only wait for him to awaken again. A little suspicious, Mysterie decides to shift through the memories herself... as best as she's allowed at any rate. Walking from one to another before finding one of the unpleasant ones. Jack whines as he can feel it trying to surface. Mysterie shoves the memory away from Jack's conscious mind even as she examines it, murmuring to herself.  
  
"Bastards... I let them off too easy... way too easy..." Jack whines as she rifles through his memories, having enough he blocks her off completely from his mind. She sighs a little when he pushes her out, but she doesn't fight like she might have, instead she retreats completely. Leaving with the mental impression of a loving kiss. Jack sleeps uneasy, because he wants the pain... feeling he deserves all of the memories that harm him; he whines all night before morning peaks. Jamie had to shut his end of the bond just to rest easy and not be drawn into the nightmares that Jack calls memories. Mysterie, on the other hand, stays up with Jack all night, keeping him close and murmuring soothingly without end. Jack awakes, yawning; feeling no different then when he'd gone to bed.

"Good morning Mysterie."

"Morning." She murmurs, Jack coughs.

"Got any aspirin and cough syrup?"

"Not here. Even if I did I doubt it would elevate your symptoms, seeing as the aliment is self imposed." Jack sighs and groans in slight mental pain, rubbing his temples. She shakes her head slightly.

"Self imposed aliments only go away when you decide they should. Until then, don't whine about what you're doing on purpose. Don't think I haven't figured it out that's what you've been doing the last couple of nights." Jack yelps in mental pain, a memory that reminded him of another conversation they'd had. She sighs a little.  
  
"I'm not going to lecture you about this, but just so you know I've blocked Jamie from you so he can rest easy and finish recovering." Jack nods.

"What ever floats your boat." He doesn't seem to care, which is strange for him; he isn't himself, his attitude is different... bad different. She winces a little, but she is his partner... not his mother... Jack doesn't seem to have a 'care to' attitude.

"Whatever." He floats up.

"I'm gonna go do something fun." He flies off, not even caring he froze breakfast. Mysterie sighs a little, unfreezing the morning meal. Jack chuckles, laughing at the pranks he's pulled and Jamie isn't safe... Jamie rubs off the marker and gives Mysterie a strange look. She only shrugs in response as she does away with the fake poop. Jack laughs, pranking the Guardians is too easy; Bunny was now pink with lipstick and Sandy was wet at the bottom from a water bath, North's face is a chimney smoke; as for Tooth.... well he left Tooth alone and now he is pranking every seasonal.


	7. Changing Colors

Most of the seasonals take it well. Bunny is furious, but North and Sandy don't seem to mind. Jack chuckles returning, two spirits he hasn't pranked that he knew were on Earth somewhere are Mother Nature and Father Time. Mysterie gives Jamie his daily dose of energy while Andrew wanders about the palace, exploring. Jack snickers, having put blue dye in Mother Nature's hair coloring potion, making it explode on her; now her face is as blue as a smurf. Jack can't hold in his laughter. Mother Nature just raises an eyebrow, clearly not impressed by the prank, but pretty certain she prefers this to the alternatives. Jack smirks and flies back, laughing all the way; a lot of spirits were kind of pissed off since he not only did this to all spirits he'd also done some to humans and children, without caring if they were hurt or not, in comparison to his normal pranks

"O-Oh God so hilarious!" He is on the floor rolling and laughing from his latest. Mysterie's too busy tending Jamie to much bother with complaints sent her way. Most of which she replies to reminding them that winter spirits are known for pranks and that it happens to coincide with Jack's center.  Jack chuckles, after going on a prank spree he goes back to his 'no caring' attitude for others.  

"I hate my life." Jack sits in corner, listening to music and painting his nails black. Mysterie sighs, just glad that Andrew has taken to exploring the other parts of the palace and isn't around to see this strange behavior. Jack cries until he is angry, than angst, and then it repeats. 

 "HE HE..." Jack talks in Japanese, making many manga faces. At one point, while Jamie is sleeping, Mysterie settled next to Jack. Wrapping her arms around him but never saying a word. Jack pushes her away, he has spiky hair now from gelling it; she takes no offense, simply sitting nearby now. Jack is now back to goth mode, he seems to switch to that 'no caring' attitude the most; finally he lands back to himself only for a little while.

"GAH MY HEAD!" Mysterie eases his pain as best she can when he returns to normal for the moment. Two hours later he's 'anime' Jack, making all the weird faces and laughing anime style, like a school girl talking random anime junk. Mysterie just kinda stares before shaking her head at that. Jack finally is settled back on 'goth' Jack; he looks through an iPod.

"Life is hopeless." He watches my little bronies texts.

"The world will end someday and we'll all die and so will us spirits." She doesn't comment on that, simply watching. Jack keeps texting, ignoring Andrew who is back and now trying to get Jack to teach him again, but he is' goth' Jack; he doesn't help anyone, he gave up hope. Andrew looks at Jack funny, thoroughly confused and then looks at Mysterie.  
  
"I don't know... just go play until he works through this." He nods and wanders off. Jack tracks mud into "house" hours later, still having the 'not caring' attitude; it's been a week now and it's not working out. Jack doesn't really care, he blows his white hair up, flipping it as he is texting random believers. Jamie walks up behind Jack, snatching the phone away before he know what he intends to do. He drops it in a bit of sand that's waiting and the thing disappears. Jamie and Mysterie are the only ones in the room... for the moment.  
  
"I think this has gone on long enough, Jack." Jack huffs.

"Whatever." He pulls out an iPhone, plugs in music and tunes them both out, flipping his hair again. Jamie looks at Mysterie; sand crawls along the device and it too disappears. Jack glares at them both, floating criss cross with a look that says 'gosh you're so uncool.' Jack floats on his back, going to sleep to avoid conversation. Mysterie looks at Jamie who nods and they follow Jack into his dreams... a bad move on Jack's part really because now they can literally corner him... as well as metaphorically. _Jack is sitting in a tree, all care, hope and fun sucked out of him; it is empty of his emotions. The two walk over to Jack; Jamie taps on the tree lightly with his knuckles. Jack sighs, ignoring them both, thinking: maybe they'll go away if I ignore them._

 

 

 

_Unknown to him is the cause, he doesn't care that Mysterie and Jamie can hear his every thought on the dream plane._

"Yeah... no. Not happening Jack." _Jamie says, crossing his arms._

"I know you look like a teenager but that doesn't mean you need to act like one." _He ignores them, sitting in the tree; he creates a wall blocking them from him. He plays with a psp from his pocket. Mysterie easily breaks down the wall and Jamie confiscates the device and anything else he finds in Jack's hoodie._

"Enough already." _Jack ignores them, huffing turns from them like 'go away' as ice sharper than swords come up and point at them both like 'back off... go away' Mysterie simply raises an eyebrow at it. Jamie less leery than her... considering she knows how sharp his ice can be first hand... but she doesn't back down. Jamie melts the one in front of him. Jack huffs in annoyance, flying up, he moves from the tree; trying to get away from the two. Jamie raises an eyebrow. Summoning a glass box around Jack thick enough to stop a canon ball to keep him within five feet of them. Jack sits on the ground of the cage, closing his eyes; the cage melts. Jamie is a little surprised Jack can melt glass so Mysterie ices it over to keep Jack from melting his way out. Jack gives up and sits, ignoring Mysterie and Jamie._

"Jack.... Why are you acting like this?" _Jamie asks after a moment; Jack huffs._

" 'Cause I don't care." _He flips his hair._

"That and I don't know why."

"Well this is definitely strange for you.... and where are the others?" _Mysterie glances around, having noticed a lack of their presence._

"Don't know." _He mumbles, knees towards his chest, head laying on them. Jamie glances around worriedly._  
  
"That is strange..." _He looks at Mysterie._  
  
"Um... I'm not sure... let me try something... see if I can't locate them..." _She kneels and touches the ground, closing her eyes; extending her senses towards Jack to try and deepen the connection between them momentarily so that she can locate them. Jack huffs, the emotions appear to be trapped and are dying. Mysterie can't revive them, but she can give them a little boost and free them from their prison... which she does. Their survival depends on Jack, however. Jack sighs._

"What's the point? Emotions are not worth having." _Mysterie sighs._  
  
"Maybe it seems that way sometimes... but they can't be just thrown away either... I've tried. It can't be done. Emotions, whether we like it or not, are vital to survival." _Jack ignores her and Jamie once more, pushing back the emotions trying to come through. Mysterie sighs a little again._  
  
"Don't you realize that emotions are the reason darkness has never fully won over anyone? The strongest weapon we have... anyone has... is the light that can only be produced by love... and true love shines its brightest even in the darkest and most dire of times... Only love makes people want to fight for others... Maybe I don't know what I did to Shadow in that fight... I may never know... but I know that whatever it was I managed it because of my love for you. I will do anything to protect you. Anything at all... no matter what that means."  _Jamie nods a little in agreement, Jack whines, his love for her pushing its hardest against the influence he'd put it under._

 

"We both love you just as much as you do us. It's why we want to help. There's a lot of things we'd like to do but that we don't because we love you too much to do them. Even if it would be in your best interest." _Jamie glances over to Mysterie, she nods in agreement. Jack whines, his body hurts as the emotions are trying to beat back the dark cloud over him. Jamie moves over to Jack and Mysterie follows, the two of them gently embracing him between them. Jack whines, fighting a little the emotions that are trying to push through the block on them; Cecil tries to push through it and Micheal. Jack groans, curling in on himself; gasps._

"No please..." _He whines, his heart trying to push back the dark block._

"We're here for you."  _Jamie and Mysterie murmur at the same time. Jack whines as that took the cake, one last blast against the mental block and light fills his head. Jack cries and screams as it hurt him as basically they were pulling out dark memories and thoughts. The two simply hold Jack close, neither one of them speaking. Jack whimpers, crying and screaming until eventually the rest of the dark thoughts are expelled from his thoughts, memories in their place. They hug Jack close, Jamie presses a gentle kiss to his cheek. Mysterie lightly runs one hand along his back in a gesture of comfort. Jack cries, not wanting his emotions; eventually he is exhausted and now is in a sleep with no dreams. The two of them keep Jack company even as he sinks into a deeper sleep._

Jack doesn't stir the next morning, in fact Mother Nature comes by to explain it's hibernation for him right now. Andrew listens to the explanation, but still isn't sure he gets it... he spends his time around some of the other winter spirits, but usually spends his time practicing on his own. Jamie and Mysterie still keep Jack company, but mostly to keep him comfortable during the hibernation period. She did say one thing...

"If Jack's hibernation is disturbed it will not be good for him or you or anyone... Just think a really grumpy, angry Jack."

"Do all winter spirits hibernate or just him?" Mother Nature smiles a little at the question.  
  
"All do, eventually, just not at the same time." Mysterie nods thoughtfully, thinking of past hibernations she'd been through; though for Jamie this is the first time. Jack doesn't stir at all, it's been week and half almost, a couple more months until winter to go. Jack twitches suddenly, it's not even close to time to wake from his hibernation; he whimpers, something is waking him up. Mysterie frowns and slips into his dream to see what it is to fight it off. She knows the hibernation is important, even if she didn't hibernate herself. It is the fact that Frostbite is taunting him.

**"You know... they don't really love you you're just another mess of theirs to clean up and take care of like a bratty kid."**

"T-thats not true.... Jamie and Mysterie... Andrew... all of them would n-never do that." _Jack's eyes hold fear and doubt. He holds his hands over his ears._

"P-please be quiet." _Frostbite doesn't let up, he is violently tired of Jack ignoring him; holding Jack by his throat, Jack is in shock, surprised. He fights against Frostbite, clawing at his death grip on his throat._

**"No more, you're going to listen to me from now on Jack. I'm what's the right path."** _Mysterie walks up behind Frostbite and taps him on the shoulder, as soon as he turns around she socks him. Jack whimpers, holding his neck and coughing as Frostbite is on the ground; spitting out a few teeth from the violent blow._


	8. Hibernation Fight

_Mysterie glares at Frostbite._  
  
"You're pathetic, you know that? What sort of coward doesn't face up to the truth? You can say and think whatever you like Frostbite, but all you say and think are lies. A right path... where the hell did you come up with that one? You are NEVER the answer to anything." _Jack whines, his body hurt; Frostbite glares at her._

 **"You'll get yours Mysterie."** _He snickers while Jack gasps, a memory of what Father Time had once showed him playing in his mind, one in which they are transported into. Jack screams while Frostbite laughs at it like it is funniest thing in the world. She growls._  
  
"Maybe, but not today and certainly not from you. You see... you're in my world Frostbite... What I say goes." _She sets Frostbite on fire, not just any fire though... white flame... one of the very hottest forms of fire that one can produce. Jack covers his ears from the words of the could-possibly-be-future. Frostbite blows it out like a candle._

 **"You can do better."** _He flicks his hand on fire with white flames and throws a fireball at Mysterie; Jack whimpers, curled up on the floor. Mysterie catches the fire, eyes darkening a little the fireball becoming Dark Fyre._  
  
"That a challenge?" _Frostbite snickers._

**"Bring it."** _He sets ring of Dark Fyre around her, bringing out a weapon; an ice pistol, he shoots two quick shots and they don't miss. The problem with that though is that it burst the illusion just as she is emerging from a shadow nearby to lunge forward with a rapier in hand, aiming to pierce a lung with the blade. He dodges, making a rapier of his own._

**"Sword combat, I like it."** _He chuckles, taking quick strikes as Jack is good with a sword, so is Frostbite; eventually he cheats, kicking dirt and sand in her eyes as they were on a dark beach. Jack screams in pain he slices Mysterie's arm, he's in too much pain to help her. She ignores the slice, ducking beneath his defenses long enough to score a slice on his cheek._  
  
"You're not too bad... but then again... I doubt you can beat me. I've faced more skilled foes than you."  _He growls, but snickers._

**"But have you faced more than one of the same foe?"** _He laughs, sand clones coming from the sand with rapiers which surround her; Jack groans, clenching in on himself._

"I've also faced those who weren't so cowardly. Every tactic you use just screams coward... Grow some balls why don't you." _She says nonchalantly, twirling the blade easily fending off every attack of the clones and the real one as she brandishes two rapiers. While she is keeping Frostbite busy, Jamie appears and kneels next to Jack, soothing his pain with his power; he isn't quite at full strength himself, but he is a lot better than he had been. Jack cries a lot, as it is excruciating, the pain done for now. Frostbite chuckles._

**"Whatever at least I got the balls to do this."** _Before she can realize what is happening, rocks slam into her full force. Jagged ice sticking into her neck and chest as he becomes a blur with the rapier; slicing her up, kicking her into another clone each doing same with their earthy powers version of his and slicing her before kicking her unceremoniously to the ground. Mysterie rolls across the ground, panting. That was painful.... very... but she don't bleed even a tiny drop. She staggers to her feet, gritting against the pain that ripples through her from the blows before tossing daggers at each of the clones, causing each one to burst before a set of twin daggers appears in her hands. Each blade glistening like silver, mirror of one another and she launches herself at the real him... These daggers were her first weapon... and she is deadly accurate with them in terms of defense and offense; striking hard and fast. He dodges, barely, smirking as she'd missed a clone; twin daggers jutted out of her back. Jack cries out as he feels pain return instead of leaving him. Jamie growls a little, fighting off the darkness as best he can as he works to soothe Jack's pain. Mysterie ignores the pain from the clone as it has given her the opportunity to sink one blade into Frostbite's skull. Only once she's done so does she incinerate the clone and the daggers are pushed back out of her as a set of bat-like wings emerge, blacker than the night itself. Frostbite laughs at the pain, pulling it out of his skull like it is nothing; blood stains his face as he smirks evilly._

 

 

 

 **"How about I up the pain Jackie?"** _Before Jamie can doing anything Jack arches in pain, screaming; just screaming as it feels like he is being ripped in half. That was the worst mistake, Mysterie's eyes darken red and she grins darkly, her hand shooting out and etching a symbol on his forehead in blood._  
  
"You're a slow learner..." _She slices her wrist, pressing the finger she'd used to write in his blood with into her own. Cutting his connection with Jack as the blood mingles. He growls, kicking her away; trying to fix said connection. Jack groans, whining; tears falling as he is hurting still. Mysterie laughs a little, a sadistic grin on her face._  
  
"Try all you like... but I've changed it up... See... now you're stuck with me..." _Jamie lets out a soft groan at that, but says nothing as he works on soothing Jack's pain. Gently taking the winter spirit's head in his hands to force the blue gaze on him as he says softly._  
  
"Jack... focus here." _Jack whines, afraid to focus; his eyes open, they're half amber as the darkness isn't releasing its grip from its host._

"J-Jamie?" _The voice is distant and sounded more like he is choking than talking. Jamie fights the darkness' hold over Jack while Mysterie murmurs in a low tone._  
  
_"Let's see just how high your pain tolerance is...." She skims one of her blades in a shallow cut along the top of her thigh, it is a shallow cut but she knows the thighs could be very sensitive to all sorts of sensations, including pain and she'd already felt this sort of pain before... She also knew that Frostbite would feel through their new connection whatever pain she did. Frostbite snarls at her._

**"You insolent girl..."** _He begins, darkness growing; the ancient darkness is growing stronger than before until he had to stop, groaning and holding his leg._

**"Y-you bitch..."** _He growls, blood on his leg as his pain hurt him more than hers had. Jack whimpers, crying and moving away from Jamie as it hurts him each time he pulls on a thread. Jamie sighs, murmuring softly._  
  
"I know it hurts, but it will be worse if we don't do this..." He works, pushing it out one bit at a time; severing the connection one strand at a time as Mysterie laughs a little.  
  
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're afraid of a little pain...." _This was really going to hurt... She slides the blade slowly into her pelvis, the pain like fire... but there was worse... so much worse... She had barely gotten started. Frostbite cries, gasping for air as Jack whimpers, pulling from Jamie again._

"P-please stop." _Jack pulls from Jamie, crawling back as the darkness is influencing him further._

"Stay back Jamie. I'm warning you."  _Jamie doesn't heed the warning though, he didn't need contact with Jack to cut at the strands of darkness. He had only needed the contact initially to find the strands. He continues to snap them one by one. Mysterie twists the blade she is using, making the pain for Frostbite that much worse._

 

 

_Jack doesn't like that for some odd reason and lashes out at Jamie strongly. Frostbite snickers, despite the pain._

**"You may be linked to me now doesn't mean I can't harm you mentally and physically still."**   _Jamie dodges, still snapping links; keeping physical distance even as he continues to sever the bonds. Mysterie smirks a little._  
  
"Think you can do better can you? Try me..."  _She smirks, her eyes flashing with challenge as she yanks out the blade from the wound she's given the both of them. He smiles._

 **"I think you need to pay more attention to what's going on around you."** _Thirteen whips wrap and hit her, he hisses between his teeth; taking the pain for that. Jack severs Jamie from his bond, trying to force both of them out of his head. He doesn't even know what has happened in his sleep._ He is thrashing and Andrew is holding Jack tightly.

"What's happening to him!?"

_Mysterie is dealt a blow from the whips, but because she is linked to Frostbite Jack's attempt to dislodge her doesn't work._

Jamie groans, his head throbbing from being forced out as he looks at Andrew.

"Darkness... it has a hold on him... we're working on it... Andrew... go get Mother Nature... We're going to need that book of hers." Andrew stares, eyes wide before he nods a little, reluctantly letting Jack go to find Mother Nature. Jack thrashes in his sleep and it is getting worse as his hair is darkening more to black like Frostbite's.

 _Frostbite groans, trying to sever the bond between Mysterie and himself. Mysterie snaps the whips, laughing._  
  
"Don't tell me that's the best you can do...." _She forms a ice spear that is darker from the dark magic infused in it as she sends it slamming into his gut as she lunges forward. Frostbite cries out dodging a second blow before stabbing her head, breaking the bond finally; he snickers, smashing rocks. Crushing her slowly each time it strengthens so she can't lift them._

Jack is out like a light, his hair is blackening and he is starting to look more like Frostbite each second. In his conscious body he is crying and whining; arching in pain as the darkness' influence grew stronger each moment. 

_Mysterie doesn't have to lift them, she becomes sand, forming into a giant serpent once she's wrapped herself around him. Hissing as her coils tighten around him. Frostbite smirks._

**"You hurt me you hurt Jack."** _He says gesturing towards him as Jack is scratching at his neck to get the invisible coils off. She hisses, telepathically speaking._  
  
"Think so? He doesn't get hurt by my light, but you on the other hand...."   _She stares into his eyes with her serpent ones as her light flows into Frostbite... it would be like a warm blanket for Jack, but for Frostbite..._


	9. Not Too Cold

_Frostbite is screaming in pain, fighting against the light; he hisses and heads to the dark corner in Jack's heart where all Jack's darkness is writhing and growing; his eyes were returning back to their ice blues, his hair back to its snow white glory. Jack gasps in pain as he is waking from his horrible hibernation; the voice of Mother Nature comes into her mind:_ "whatever you do do not let Jack wake early in hibernation. he'll be a grumpy very angry Jack... you do not want that Jack."

 _Mysterie coils around him, she's dragged along for the ride; her light burning into Frostbite as she simply coils tighter around him, laughing in his mind._  
  
Oh no... you're not getting away this time...   
  
While he is trying to retreat, Mother Nature has arrived with her book, Andrew in tow. 

Frostbite's screams are waking Jack up, groaning, he had all but expelled her from his head; crying in pain, he squirms intensly before going limp in the hammock. Mysterie calls out to Jamie.  
  
_This is gonna hurt real bad... but you need to cut it now! All of it!_ Jamie nods, placing a hand on Jack's head and sending a slice of his light. Severing the bonds all at once. Mysterie yanks Frostbite with her as Jack expels her. Without Frostbite's connection to Jack the both of them are forcefully spit out. Mother Nature catching Frostbite into the book and shutting it closed with a snap before the dark spirit even realizes what's happened.  
  
"I think he'll be in good company." Mother Nature says. Jack screams at the snapping sensation, whimpering and shaking before settling into sleep once more... 

It's the end of the month now, the end of hibernation; it is an hour into the day before Jack comes out of his frozen dead like sleep; stated, stretching and yawning as if he hasn't slept for a few months. Mysterie's resting herself, though Jamie is walking into the room; putting a book away when Jack yawns. He smiles a little.  
  
"Hey."

"Morning." Jack stretches, chuckling even as he feels something is off but he ignores it.

"Feel okay? Kind of a nasty bit of that first part of your sleep for all of us. Mother Nature said you might feel off balance for a while until you adjust." Jack shakes his head.

"Not sure what you're talking about." He stands up, wobbling from disuse of his legs; he feels completely off, like Mother Nature said.

"Right... which is why you feel about as wobbly as you look." Jamie says with a sympathetic smile. He'd been wobbly too when he'd first been able to get out of bed after recovering from the spell.

 

 

Jack falls to his knees, hearing a loud crack as his bones haven't been used in months so they had weakened, in which he has broken his knee... Thank God he can't feel the pain as his legs are numb.

"I think I broke my knee bone." He says, not caring and slightly relaxed. Jamie tsks a little, picking Jack up and setting him on the bed; calling for Mysterie. It's several minutes before she appears.  
  
"Now Jack, I would think you'd know better than to stand the first few days. How many times am I going to have to mend this same leg before you stop trying to stand up when you awaken from your hibernation?" She mends the broken bone. Jack looks down, embarrassed.

"You've told me exactly 43 times."

"Nice to see you've at least kept count. Now maybe one of these times you'll actually remember." She says with a soft smile, not really mad. Jack sighs.

"I hate it when this happens." His legs are still very numb. Jack yawned.

"Yet I still feel very tired." Jack groans, his body is so weak it feels like his stomach ate itself in his sleep.

"Does it usually hurt when you wake up?"

"I don't hibernate love. Though I imagine Andrew will at some point." Jack sighs.

"This sucks." He rubs at his eyes, still very tired.

"You say that every time you wake up." She leaves a moment only to return with breakfast for Jack. He yawns.

"Yeah, well, it does."

"And if you could avoid it you would. At least you said so last time." Mysterie settles next to Jack.

"Now eat. You'll be hungry soon enough if you aren't already." Jack digs in immediately, he is starving. She had learned over the years how much Jack tended to eat when waking so she made sure there is plenty for him while she keeps him company. Jack ate until there was not even a crumb of food left, he hiccups, laying on his back in bliss. Mysterie cleans away the dishes and Jamie settles in her place; Jack tries to stand again, legs wobbling. Jack gasps, happy he hasn't fallen yet... but too soon his legs give out and his head bangs on the nightstand he is near, blood stains his hair and he whines.

"Ouchie." Jamie shakes his head. Helping him back up and soothing his pain as well as getting rid of the minor injury.

"Easy does it. You'll be up again soon. Just have a little patience. "

 

 

Jack whines, annoyed; he can't even fly yet as his powers are basically asleep. Jamie just smiles a little.  

"She's told me all about this. Including how much of a handful you like being. " Jack pouts at Jamie.

"She's a handful." He says childishly, turning on his side both bored and irritated. Jamie chuckles.

"You both are." Jack groans, trying to give Jamie a wedgie with vines or freeze him.... all that came out was a puff of frost and a sprout. Jamie doesn't laugh at the attempts, instead he settles close; wrapping his arms around Jack who sighs. He groans, slightly annoyed and very, very restless. 

"I want to go fly, do something fun; not lay here 'til my body works!"

"Hmmm, well flying isn't a problem, but what did you have in mind as far as fun?" Jack groans.

"I don't know, anything would be better than this." He sighs.

"I'm so bored already." Jack whimpers, never feeling so restless in his entire immortal life. 

"Hmmmm, well I suppose we can come up with something then." Jamie picks him up bridal style and walks out before Jack can think to so much as open his mouth to yelp, let alone protest. He calls the wind to him, flying out and away from the palace. Jack is silent in slight amazement at the sky's colors, right now it is still early in the morning; the sky is a pinkish, purple, blue with the sun just peaking over the horizon.

"Where are we going?" He looks at Jamie, wanting to know where. Jamie smiles a little in response, flying high enough to give Jack a good view of the area as he carried him off to a little spot in Alaska he'd once seen in a book. The forest clearing he lands in is breath taking, they are barely there a moment when a herd of elk wanders by. Jack's eyes pop at the elk, it is simply breath taking and it did take his breath away.

"It's beautiful." Jamie smiles a little, the herd flicks their ears a little, stopping to look at the two spirits. A curious young bull, not yet grown into his antlers, slowly approaches them without fear. Jack wants to touch its antlers, he feels quite disconnected with nature and animals at that moment. Jamie keeps still as the bull snorts a little, slowly walking towards them. The others watching curiously as the brave young bull meanders over. Jack whines slightly, turning in Jamie's arms like a child; he hides in Jamie's chest as he feels the sniff of the bull on his hair. The young bull snorts, nudging against Jack gently; Jamie chuckles softly at the brave bull's antics. Jack shivers, hugging to Jamie like a little joey; Jamie murmurs quietly.  
  
"Don't worry, he's not old enough to be aggressive like his father yet." The bull snorts a little before turning and heading back to the herd as they slowly move on. Jack still clutches him, but turns his head, looking at the bull as it looks at him and Jack says 'bye' to the elk as he returns his face to Jamie's chest. He is so tired, it is so comfortable so he snuggles into the blanket made pouch. Jamie smiles a little, chuckling a bit when he moves over to a lake and catches a glimpse of his reflection. It looks like Jack is settled against him like a baby to its mother. While he finds the imagery amusing he doesn't say anything as he fixes the blanket to stay on him its own, mimicking Mysterie's sand powers for a moment to secure it to hold Jack as he walks to find a place other than the clearing. He had only landed there to get close to a spot he wants to show Jack. He isn't sure if Jack has ever seen the spot he is thinking of.


	10. Alaska

Jack wakes a few moments later, popping his head out of the 'pouch,' still sucking on his thumb; he doesn't like the light and he hides in the 'pouch,' shifting and curling into it. 

"Where are we?" He whines a little. Jamie chuckles softly.  
  
"Alaska. There's something I want to show you. I found it while doing some researching."

"Okay." He stretches his legs out as he leans back in the little 'pouch.' Jamie chuckles a little and looks down at Jack.  
  
"Are you coming out or do you just plan to sit there all day?"

"I'll come out when I come out." Jack is so comfy it is hard for him to leave the pouch. Jamie chuckles.  
  
"I'll take that as a no then. Well fair enough... but you should at least poke your head out to see this." Jamie says, moving to step next to a small clearing with a stream running through it. The water sparkling in the light as it trickles down in a miniature waterfall. Trees waving a little in a gentle breeze while snow graces the ground, gleaming like tiny diamonds in the sunlight as well as on the branches of nearby trees. Jack does just that, gasping at the gorgeous waterfall.

"J-jamie its amazing!" Jamie just smiles a little. Jack feels warm and cozy, he kisses Jamie on the cheek.  Jamie kisses him on the forehead in return.  
  
"Thought you might like a change of scenery."

"I love it." Jack snuggles to his chest, his eyes became blurry and he panics slightly.

"J-jamie i can't-" His words are cut off as he fall unconscious for no apparent reason. 

"Jack?!"  He shifts to try and figure out why Jack's lost consciousness. Jack doesn't awaken as he is out like a light. Jamie checks for physical signs first; keeping an eye on his surroundings too, but all seems perfectly peaceful and normal.  A snake seems to slither off Jamie's shoulder it was a coral snake surprisingly; Jack is warm, too warm. Jamie does what he can to cool Jack down, brushing away the serpent... wait... when had **that** gotten on him? Jamie checks to see if it bit Jack; it had, it was on his arm and Jack is out cold. It appears the snake lives in the tree above. Jamie sighs in irritation and uses what little control he has left over his borrowed powers from Mysterie to extract the venom from Jack. Though he's worn out once he's managed it and ensures that no other living creature comes near by borrowing a bit of Jack's cold magic. Jack shivers from the poison but settles as the venom is extracted but shivers as his magic is being used. Jamie settles down with Jack with a sigh. The winter spirit would feel strange from him having borrowed a little of his power so he could copy it with his own, but that was it. Jack curls closer to Jamie, nuzzling him as he sleeps peacefully. Jamie yawns a little, drifting off himself from the exertion from using that ability. It is late when Jack feels the nuzzle of a snout and growling. Jamie opens one eye and growls back.

"Go away... "

 

 

Instead, the mountain lion sniffs Jack, licking him before dragging him from the pouch; Jack doesn't feel anything, as he is deeply asleep. It drops Jack with a yelp when Jamie scorches its fur. He scares it off by flaring fire in its face. Once it's gone he puts Jack back in the blanket-pouch. Settling so that it can't happen again. Jack grabs at Jamie's clothes in his sleep, accidentally pinching his nipple as he clutches onto his clothes. Jamie shifts a little uncomfortably but otherwise doesn't move. Jack buries his face in Jamie's chest, still slightly pinching but not as hard. Jamie nuzzles against Jack as he dozes; Jack sniffs, licking his neck slightly. Jamie mutters something incoherent, nuzzling closer. Jack moves a little bit, waking up. Jamie barely moves though some part of his dozing mind recognizes he's stirring. Jack coughs, sniffing the air; he pops his head out slowly, pulling back in suddenly, hissing at the light at first. Jamie shifts a little so not all of his weight is on top of Jack as he stirs. Jack pops out again, eyes adjusting to light. Jamie yawns, stretching a little as he opens one eye, but otherwise doesn't seem inclined to move; Jack crawls out, legs working now, healed, and his powers begin returning to their natural state. Jack can hear many things, nature's call is strong and he hisses in slight pounding pain before he is reintroduced to the natural order. Jamie watches curiously; Jack huffs, whispering into the wind to bring snow here and it snows lightly. Flowers sprout through the snow at his will; Jamie just watches the display in sleepy curiosity. Jack sends the leaves that needed to turn brown, gold, and ... brown so it will match with the rest of nature. Jamie stretches out, shrugging off the blanket pouch as he sits up to have a better view to watch. Jack looks to the east wind and pulls the east wind the other direction where it is supposed to go; the animals that need to hibernate are now out of hibernation, finally, as he melts the snow as it is no longer needed. Only a light sprinkle, a slight smile tugs on Jamie's lips as he watches. Jack nearly collapses, the wind catches him as he finishes with the duties of the day; Jack shakes his head breathing in and out, he'd used too much energy. Jamie finally gets up and goes over to Jack.  
  
"A bit much for a show don't you think? Besides, keep that up and you might put Mother Nature out of business." He was kidding, of course.

"No, just thought it needed these things, plus the spring spirits are being lazy." Jack says, eyes closing to rest only for a second, but he then forces himself to wake as he had been asleep too long. Jamie shrugs a little at that; Jack sighs, standing, he stretches out and with that the sun brightens from Jack's power. Jamie raises an eyebrow.   
  
"This happen every time you hibernate?"

"Yes, no.... Actually... usually as soon as I wake I'm weakened, but it evens out after and my powers usually don't take much energy from me to be... well... like this." Jack says, worried slightly as his body still feels like it is in pain and numb.

"Hmmm, well I'm not surprised you're not fully up to snuff yet. I mean, it's not just the one power anymore and I wager that is why you still might feel a little off.... well, that and what we did during the first week of your hibernation."

"What?" Jack had totally forgot about that "little problem" in the beginning.

"Frostbite was trying to disturb your rest.... we had to deal with him... I don't know if it was a good idea... but it was the only solution at the time... er... we trapped him in Mother Nature's book."

"Y-you did?" Jack's eyes grew wide.

"Y-you mean I'm free from him?" Jamie nods.

 

 

"He didn't give us a choice... put up a helluva fight though... and you knocked me out of the fight itself... nearly did the same to her too. I guess her spell that connected her to Frostbite kept that from happening until I severed the connection between you and him... then you kinda knocked 'em both out."

"Oh." Jack sighs.

"Is she okay?" Jack is more worried about her now. Jamie nods.   
  
"Doesn't seem any worse for the wear for the fight." Jack sighs, there was a call from a child; the call in his head tugged for attention and he shakes his head, sighing.

"Stay here." Jack follows the call, somewhere in the state is a little girl about age Jamie was when Jack first met him; she appears to be dying of a disease. Jack sighs and answers her call, she smiles gratefully; moments later he flies out her window, tears in his eyes. He wipes them away as he heads back. Jamie stayed as Jack requested, but that didn't stop him from giving him a mental embrace when he'd felt the sadness. Jack sniffs, taking the embrace.

"I'm sorry." Jack whimpers as the feeling is horrible; he had put the girl to rest, giving her peace, but it still hurt. Jamie just sends an impression of sympathy over the bond as he waits for Jack to return. Jack returns to Jamie, anything but happy, and it starts to rain because of his emotions. Jamie pulls Jack into a hug when he returns; Jack whines, sniffling and the rain starts to turn into a thunderstorm. He doesn't say anything, simply hugging Jack close. Jack cries into the sky, his sobs turning into keening wails; Jamie hugs him close, gently rocking Jack in his embrace to soothe him. Jack keens a few more times before falling completely asleep. Jamie sighs a little, but holds him close; Jack shakes a little, the sky is pouring rain, hard. Jamie dries Jack off, as well as himself, with some heat and settles down with him beneath the hallow of a tree to keep dry. Jack wakes the next morning, the sun forced to shine and dry away all the rain; Jamie is looking at the miniature waterfall when he wakes up. Jack sighs and yawns, the events of last night hit him and he whines a little; Jamie turns, saying softly.  
  
"Hey."

"Hi." Jack's voice is raw from screaming the night before. Jamie moves over to Jack.  
  
"Not what I had in mind last night when I said a change of scenery." Jack sighs.

"I'm sorry." He looks at the ground, guilt eating at him now. Jamie sighs a little and walks over to Jack, lightly putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Don't be. It's not your fault." Jack sighs again.

"But it was my fault, I can't even control my powers with my emotions." 

"I imagine that sort of thing comes with time Jack. Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not like you were born with all this." Jack nods, sighing a little again. Jamie gently squeezes his shoulder; Jack looks up at Jamie.

"I think we should head back but I kind of don't want to go yet."


	11. Cubs

"Well, let's just stick around here a bit longer and then when you feel like leaving we can. No rush to get back really. Mysterie is entertaining Andrew by giving him a tour of the castle at the moment." Jack smiles.

"Cool." He sniffs the air.

"I am kind of hungry."

"Hmmm, well we could catch something from the stream if you like. Plenty of fish there. Donno about the wildlife that lives here otherwise. Aside from elk... but that's a little much." Jack nods.

"I could go for elk but fish sounds good." Jamie walks over to the stream and picks up a stick that looks sturdy. he uses a bit of fire to sharpen one end and looks into the stream. seeing a fish he stabs into the water, jerking the stick back with a squirming fish on the other end. He uses a bit of fire to quickly cook the fish, ending its life quickly too and holds it out to Jack to eat.  
  
"Fish stick." He grins a little at his own corny joke. Jack punches him gently.

"That was a terrible joke." He chuckles, but eats it and leaves Jamie half. 

"Which is why you're laughing." Jamie says with a grin, indicating that he can eat the whole thing. He's not interested himself in eating, he actually doesn't like fish all that much. Jack smiles.

"Suit yourself than." He eats the rest of the fish only to be tackled by a grizzly, it wasn't nice one either. Jack screams in pain as his arm is now broken as the bear pounds onto his little body. Jamie doesn't bother trying to run it off as he sets the thing on fire. Slamming a fist into it as he sends fire along its fur to distract the thing from Jack; the grizzly swipes, turning on him and sending him flying even as it roars in pain from the flames. Jack is unconscious, a bloody mess and he had broken several ribs as well as his arm. Jamie makes sure the creature is nothing but ashes before going over to Jack and doing what he can to fix him up.

"What the hell happened?" Jack says as he regains consciousness, a few teeth that were knocked out instantly start to regrow. Jamie sighs.  
  
"Bear attack."

"H-how and w-why?" Unaware that bear had cubs, Jack stands up good as new only to see two bear cubs go to the pile of ash.

"Jamie! You just killed a mama bear!" Jack shivers, guilt eating at him. Jamie sighs at the cubs.   
  
"Well... it came after us... not the other way around." He feels a little guilty at that, but he **had** been protecting Jack....

"Can we keep them... Please?" Jack whines, pulling the same sad face like the cubs.

 

 

Jamie sighs.  
  
"No, Jack. We can't. They aren't pets."

"PWEASE!" Jack begs, eyes growing wider and more sad.

"Please" The cubs seem to do the same. Jamie sighs again.  
  
"No... the best we can do for them is take them to a place nearby where there are other bears who will teach them what they need to know."

"No they won't." Jack sits by the cubs who sniff him.

"Please!"

"How do you know? Jack, these are wild animals. They are NOT house pets... and certainly aren't suited to become one anytime soon."

"Please!!" Jack pets the little cubs.

"They're only babies!" Jamie sighs yet again...  
  
"I know that Jack, that's why I suggested we take them to their own kind. They won't be babies forever." Jack huffs.

"No, they won't keep them though." Jack picks up the little cubs and shoves one in Jamie's face, it makes a cute little noise then licks his face.

"Please!" Jamie sighs once more... Yes, they were cute... Yes, he felt guilty, but this wasn't a stray wolf or something that could be just easily tamed...  
  
"We can take them with us... we'll see what Mysterie has to say about this... she's the creature expert between the three of us."

"YAY!" Jack hops up, but carefully minding the cubs, he flies.

"Let's go!" Jamie shakes his head a little as he follows, sending ahead to Mysterie that they're returning with some "wild guests" that Mysterie needs to see and talk to Jack about. Curious on this matter, she asks if they're dangerous, but Jamie denies they aren't... at their current age. Jack chuckles and laughs as he's pushed to the ground by the small, but big, bear cubs. He laughs as they lick and cuddle him. Andrew follows Mysterie into the room while Jamie lands behind Jack and the cubs. Andrew's eyes widen at the two cubs, squealing a little.  
  
"They're cute!" She sighs and Jamie gives her a look that says "yeah... see my problem?" She can only nod.

"Yeah! I know, right?! Let's name them!" He hands Andrew the girl one as he holds the boy and smiles. "Your name will be Koda after my favorite Disney bear."

 

 

"Jack...." Jamie groans. Mysterie shakes my head at that.  
  
"I'll name you Kira." Andrew smiles at the girl who licks his nose and he grins. Mysterie sighs a little.

"Jack, bears don't normally make good pets."

"So what they're little, they could be pets." Jack laughs as the one named Koda sits on his chest, sleeping.

"Awww, it's so cute!" Jamie sighs.  
  
"They're not pets Jack." Mysterie nods a little.  
  
"Jamie's right Jack... bears aren't social creatures when they mature... Most are barely even sociable with each other when it comes time to mate. They might be cute and cuddly now, but that won't last. They'll be ready to mate likely by next year. That will make them dangerous and unpredictable."

"Aww, come on we'll send them back in the wild once I teach them how to hunt." Jack whimpers, giving her the sad puppy eyes. She raises an eyebrow.  
  
"Hunt? Jack bears don't hunt. They either fish or forage, they're not the predators wolves are." Jack sighs.

"Whatever. Anyways, I'll teach them that." He snuggles the little cub.

"Yes I will, yes I will." Jack baby talks the little cub who only coos in response. Mysterie sighs.  
  
"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you about next year."  
  
"Yes!" Jamie just shakes his head and walks off, leaving the two winter spirits to snuggle their cubs. 

"Yay let's wash them first!" Jack picks up Koda and heads to the bathroom, making a bath; not to hot, not to cold.... just right.

"Yeah! They are kinda stinky..." Andrew says as he follows with Kira in his arms. Mysterie just watches the two of them walk off with their new "pets." Putting the little cub in the bath, he starts with his tummy and back; Koda doesn't like the water and makes the little cub noises, they make like 'no... no water.'

"Aww, I know Koda; just stay still." Andrew giggles a little and gently puts Kira next to her brother. She doesn't seem to like it anymore than he does.  
  
"I guess they don't like taking baths. Can't say I blame 'em. Never much cared for 'em myself." Andrew gently rubs soap into Kira's fur while she whines. 


	12. Not Tamed

Jack finishes washing Koda's belly, ears, and little face and then he dunks him in water for a second; he likes being dunked. Andrew does the same for Kira who splash him when she comes up again, she seems to like the water but hates the soap. She manages to splash her brother and Andrew.

"Augh! I'm wet!" The cubs are all clean, now was the hard part.... teeth.

"If you live with us you can't have dirty teeth, Tooth wouldn't approve." Jack gets a pet toothpaste, which he uses for Percy, who is in the other room kind of unsure what is going on in the bathroom. Jack tries cleaning Koda's teeth but every time he tries to the bear pulls away or nips him gently. Andrew is trying a different tactic with Kira who is sniffing the toothpaste on the brush.

"Say 'ahhh' Kira..." The cub looks at him strangely, then opens her mouth and he put some on her tongue, hastily brushing what teeth he can reach before pulling the brush back before she could snap it in half. Jack smiles and tries something else.

"Look it's yummy... mmm." He makes himself look like he's eating it; the cub gets jealous, making adorable noise that's like 'let me have some.'

"You want some? Well open wide." He is just as quick cleaning Koda's teeth sparkly clean. Andrew grins, seeing that you're copying his tactic... sort of, as he manages to get Kira's teeth clean. The cub whines, both look hungry; after toweling and drying the little ones Jack decides to make them some food.

"Andrew want to help me?"

"Of course! But um... what do bears normally eat?" He asks once he's got Kira dried off. Jack smiles.

"Fish." He goes to the the freezer that holds the meat and opens it.

"We'll grill them only once or twice, they need to learn to fish on their own too as well as forage for berries." Andrew nods a little, listening as Jack gets the fish.  
  
"Um, but won't we need to like grind it up for them or something?"

"Yeah, you're right; wait we only strip small pieces at a time. Like their mother would feed them." 

"Um, okay..." Andrew says a little uncertainly. He'd no idea what Jack means and watches him expectantly, hoping he knows. Jack smiles, cutting up the fish so it's not too big or too small; he slides out some vertebrae since it is their first.... or probably hundredth time eating fish, depending how long the mother and the cubs had been together. 

"So... how do I do this?" Andrew looks between you and Kira who is whining at him hungrily.

"Just pull apart the fish in half and give it to the cub, but hold one end so they don't swallow it whole, as well as training them not to bite."

"Um, okay." Andrew takes a strip of the fish, pulling it apart as Jack had said and holding it up for Kira who begins chewing on it happily; Jack does the same with Koda. Who nips, trying to get Jack to let go.

 

 

 

"No no." Jack pulls it up, he whines like 'why?'

"Eat, no bite." Andrew keeps his strip up high enough to keep Kira from pulling it from his grasp though she does try. Jack smiles as he feeds the little cub.

"Soon you'll be fishing and foraging for you own food." Jack says with a smile. Andrew grins a little at Kira as she finishes the first part.  
  
"You're just so cute..." Jack can't help but smile as Koda walks and falls into his lap, asleep.

"Aww, cute." Andrew finishes feeding Kira who yawns hugely and he picks her up before she falls over. She cuddles against Andrew as she falls asleep.  
  
"Um... we need to find beds for them... any ideas?" He whispers so not to wake the cubs. Jack gets just the idea. He hands Koda over to Andrew as he gets a wood box he had that's big enough for Percy and the cubs combined. He fills it with a blanket and pillows along with a pad for bathroom. Jack smiles, setting Koda in and then Kira.

"Ta da." He says quietly so not to disturb the two. Andrew grins, though he'd had a little trouble holding BOTH cubs at once... not that they were too heavy just... awkward. He didn't have Jack's height... after all, his appearance was just that of an eight year old boy and always will be. Jack smiles.

"They're so cute, I think we should introduce them to Percy tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Um... I was wondering though.... is it true that Jamie built this place for you?" Jack smiles at that.

"Yes, yes he did." He looks over at Jamie who had fallen asleep waiting for them to return, but Jack is smiling at that. Remembering for a moment the time that Jamie had given him a tour of the place for the first time. Andrew's eyes widened at that.  
  
"That's so awesome! I hope someday I find someone who loves me that much." Jack smiles.

"You will, I know you will; for now, we love you Andrew." Jack smirks, hugging his now adopted little brother. Andrew hugs him back.  
  
"I love you all too." How could he not, when the three who had been strangers to him had given him everything he'd always wanted? Jack smiles.

"Come on, let's go to bed." He whispers so as not to wake the little ones Jack calls their angels... or does now. Andrew nods then says quietly.  
  
"Um... where exactly am I sleeping?" Jack smirks, neither noticing that Jamie is stretching, careful not to disturb the new residents in this room.

"With me of course." He picks Andrew up bridal style and smiles as he floats to the hammock that was his bed near the ceiling in a room that Jamie had built to be his; there was a normal bed in the room as well, but Jack preferred the hammock most times. Andrew just grins.  
  
"Awesome."   


 

Andrew snuggles against Jack, not aware that they had passed Mysterie and Jamie on his way to the room. The two of them share a grin before heading for their respective rooms. Jamie planning on where to put a separate room for Andrew for those nights Jack ended up spending with either Mysterie or him... Jack snuggles with Andrew, unaware the next morning the two of them would be in for a nasty surprise. Jamie pokes rather insistently at Jack over the bond while he fixes some of the damage to the walls, Mysterie is trying to corral the bears back into the box. The two cubs think it's a game of chase... which isn't making this easy on her. Jack wakes up, stirring.

 _"What?!"_  Jack yells over the bond, very irritated at being woken up at 9:00 am in the morning! 

 _"Help clean up will ya? Yes I know it's 9 in the morning but they're YOUR pets remember?"_ Jamie returns over the bond. Jack groans, getting up and floating down; the first thing he steps on is bear... Jack groans louder this time. Andrew shifts a little in the hammock. Mysterie snickers over the bond when she glances over her shoulder from the hall to see what he's groaning about, saying clearly over the bond.  
  
_"Maybe you should house train them too while you're 'taming' them."_ Jack growls over the bond in response.

"Ha ha... very funny." He grumbles as he cleans bear crap off the floor and his foot as well as the surrounding damage. Mysterie sends a chuckle over the bond.  
  
_"Well, it is a thought... unless you really want to risk stepping in THAT every morning... and I do mean every morning..."_ Jack huffs.

"Fine." He says, but not loud enough to carry to Andrew above him. Mysterie manages to corner the two cubs with some help from her sand, the two stare up at Jack adorably while she goes to inspect some of the furniture to see if she can't help fix some stuff they've torn into, trying to eat it...  
  
_"And you might want to feed them seeing as they tried to eat everything they saw..."_ Jack looks at the rest of the damage done.

"By the way where are my little angel demons!" Mysterie had made them a little "play pen" out of sand. Including having a ball of sand to play with to distract them while they are finishing up cleaning, she points in the direction. They whine for Andrew and Jack, sneezing every now and again. Jack returns to their pin with fish each hour they grow hungry. As the day goes on and Jamie and Mysterie deal with the damage, Andrew gets up and joins Jack in feeding the two in their new pen. He doesn't fuss about it, having seen only half the damage the two had done and realize that maybe they should have done that last night.... Jack starts training the cubs that outside is potty and inside on the pads are potty. Jack tries to get Koda to go bathroom on the pad at least. Andrew makes an attempt to do the same with Kira, but it's harder training the two cubs than training a dog.

"Hmm... maybe I should get a bear training book they do have such at North's library." He hands Andrew both Kira and Koda.

"Stay here I'll be right back."

"Sure." Andrew keeps the two company in the pen while Jack goes to find a book. Jack smiles.  

"Okay and uh... don't feed Koda for a hour; he bit Kira for eating some of his food." Andrew nods, Jack smirks and flies off to the North Pole unaware of the problem that awaited him there.


	13. Only One Path

Mysterie sighs in some relief, having finished stitching up the last of one of the cushions for the lounge. Jamie is "bear" proofing each of the rooms as he fixes them up. Jack smiles as he enters the workshop.

"North!" There was no answer accept the screams of nightmares.

"Oh no..." He flies to the globe room; it is chaos as nightmares fly here and there and the familiar laughter of Pitch's voice echoes around the room.

"Jack, so glad you're here." Jack glares at Pitch. No one seemed to be around, feathers and sand were everywhere.

Mysterie senses his alarm and there's slight surprise from her when she gets the impression of Pitch. Didn't that guy ever quit? Jack is angry.

"Where are they? What did you do with them Pitch!" He snarls. Pitch chuckles.

"Oh they're here but..." A boomerang slams into Jack and he hits the wall, sliding down in pain; he looks up to see a yellow eyed black furred rabbit next to Pitch on what looks like a bird demon creature. Behind them is what looks like a giant yeti. Jack gasps.

"No... no! Pitch what did you do to them!" Pitch chuckles.

"The same I did with you, only I broke their hopes, dreams and freedom; as I will do to you soon." Jack backs away.

"No, it's not gonna happen again Pitch. I am no one's puppet!"

"Stay here Andrew." Jamie says quietly. He'd sensed what Mysterie had. Jamie moves over to her, teleporting the two of them to the pole. She pulls up her hood while Jamie stands in the shadows near the Guardians, reaching out to them with his powers to release them from Pitch's grip... belief was his specialty after all. While he is doing that Mysterie's job is to distract Pitch.  
  
"Oh do tell Boogeyman... but I think you forgot a little detail... There are more of us now." Pitch chuckles.

"Yes, but I also have friends." Before she can figure out what he means, Guilt hits Jack hard, fire slams into Mysterie though she doesn't feel it; it was the so-called fire king up to his old tricks again, and the changeling siblings fly in. Transforming from eagles into bears, they slam Jack into a wall as well as Jamie; Pitch's hold is too strong on the Guardians at the moment. Wolves surrounded Mysterie, ones with stronger minds and they bite and rip at her as the "good doctor" makes her entrance. Jamie isn't expecting the blows and they hit him hard... he needs just a few more seconds... He doesn't release his power even as the pain slams into him. Mysterie sends the wolves flying back with blasts of sand, knocking out most of them when they slam into the walls head first. This looked bad... but she isn't going to give up and pain courses through her as she shifts into a dragon. Her tail slams into the doctor and the remaining wolves who are running towards her again. She let out a flame of fire at the twin changelings to keep them off Jamie, the fire king's attacks are useless against her no matter what he tries... But not against Jack. The "fire king" grabs Jack by his throat.

"Well Jack, you ready to join our crew?" His hand is scorching Jack's throat and he can only made pained noises as he struggles in his grip.

"Hey, don't kill him; we need him." Piped Pitch, before either can realize what the four are doing, that it was only a distraction, as Pitch and the rest in a swirl of black sand with Jack along with them. 

 

 

Jamie's power frees the four Guardians, but not in time. Jamie slams a fist into a wall in frustration. Mysterie let out a spurt of flame in her own frustration. 

Jack gasps for air as he is thrown to the floor by the fire spirit.

"First lets get rid of that little bond of yours..." Pitch's silky voice spoke. Jack gasps, shaking his head.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Pitch chuckles as he is all but completely restrained.

"Sorry, we have to pull things from your mind first before we can leave you be." What none of them knew was that Jamie could find Jack without the bond... Mysterie sends reassurance over the bond. Secretly weaving the same spell over Jack that had protected her when she had purposely been captured. An ancient spell only a light spirit could perform. Immediately pain hit Jack, literally, he is knocked unconscious as Pitch searches his mind to remove all memories; everything, basically to make Jack a blank puppet like the "doctor" had attempted once and he'd almost managed on his own.  Pitch could try... and try the Boogeyman did, but a little vital part of Jack's mind is shielded by Mysterie's spell. The most important of memories kept hidden and safe in a corner of his mind that Pitch couldn't find, to the Boogeyman it didn't even exist. The trick to the spell would be pulling that vital part back to the surface when needed. Jack struggles a little as Pitch pushes his influence over him as he had done to the Guardians.

"Alright 'doctor,' now I think it's your turn to lead them off the trail." As he speaks, Mysterie settles in that part of Jack's mind that her spell has shielded. this would be the tricky part because it meant splitting her conscious mind into two places... The Guardians were doing their best to calm Jamie who is throwing a fit in one of the training rooms while Mysterie seems to just zone out. She is holding that part she'd saved, that part had also become a haven for the emotions too. Jackson looks uneasy at the shield that the spell has made.  
  
"Easy Jackson. The only way this can work is if we make them think they've won. Before you ask, yes, I'd planned for this. I had gotten myself captured on purpose to test my theories on this spell, risky yes, but worth it. Plus it allowed me to free some of the doctor's unwitting captives. Seems she found new ones." Jack whimpers in pain, fighting Pitch's influences all the way.

"Hmm, you're strong this time... but I have other ways of making you submit." Mysterie grits her teeth and before Pitch can try anything she pulls the mental version Jack has of himself into the shield, it was risky to do so; but Pitch wouldn't notice the difference really while she hugs that version of Jack close, murmuring softly.  
  
"Trust me... I know what I'm doing. Please hang on... " She trembles... this was harder than when she'd done this herself. She is scared for Jack even though she knows the spell is working. Jack's eyes open, a silver white no longer; they're brilliant blue as he stares off into space awaiting orders from Pitch or so it seems while his inner self hugs Mysterie, safe with her in his mental body. 

"This isn't going to be pretty... Jamie is taking this the hardest... but he doesn't know about this spell... I haven't told him. I didn't have time to tell either of you how I managed this." She murmurs.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Jack whines as the order was sent to destroy Mysterie and Jamie, Jack is forced to watch himself head to where Mysterie and Jamie are at.

 

 

 

"Mysterie, I'm coming to destroy you or something.... put up a barrier, I feel something's not right this time!" Jack's greatest fear seemed about to come true and he was being forced to watch... Mysterie sighs before answering.  
  
"I didn't get a chance to. Probably for the best at this point because if the others had known there's a good chance THEY would have found out when they were under Pitch's influence. It wouldn't have let me have the time I needed to put the spell in place. We'd really be in trouble then. Jack... this is a very old spell, meant as a last line of defense, not something to just be thrown around.... and I know... but there isn't much I can do. Jamie is putting up defenses now, but if we do too much then Pitch and the others will suspect something before we're ready to spring this. I can't risk it Jack... I know what they plan to do just as you do. Like I said... this won't be pretty..." Jack whines.

"Mysterie... I don't like this any of this!" His body makes a storm slam into the pole, making the building strain and shake as it strikes against Jamie's defenses. Mysterie hugs Jack, murmuring softly.  
  
"I know. I don't either.... but it was the only thing I could think of. I didn't think they'd join forces like that." Jamie's defenses quiver beneath the storm, but while the building strains, Jamie's defenses still hold. Mysterie seems to slumber in dragon form while the other Guardians, including Jamie, discuss what should be done... what can be done.  
  
"He can't keep this up much longer before he begins using something else... I don't know how long my shields will last against the other elements. summer and winter no problem... but the elements of earth and water?" Jamie shakes his head, uncertain. Jack snarls while his body laughs, almost breaking the defenses. Mysterie holds Jack close, murmuring.  
  
"Easy Jack... I know this is hard... but this has to happen." The defenses shake and before any of them can say anything the shield shatters. Jamie stumbles from the blow of feeling the shield break. The ice slams into the pole, shaking the entire foundation to the core; Jack's body flies into the area that the shields had been protecting, a wide radius around the workshop, while Jack sighs.

"How does this happen?" The Guardians scramble to gather their weapons for a fight while the other half of Mysterie's consciousness rouses from sleep. She is still a dragon and she flies out of the workshop to meet Jack. Ice and snow come through the workshop in a big tornado, freezing Tooth's wings and bowling both Bunny and North over. Mysterie sends a blast of fire to counter Jack's ice and snow while Jamie struggles to combat the tornado with his heat. Tooth, crumples to the ground, rapiers in hand. She isn't defenseless even without her wings. Bunny and North scramble to recover. Jack hates it this when this happens, the ice and snow only the beginning; vines wrap around the Guardians, slamming them around into the stream of fire. Mysterie cuts off the stream of fire to keep from hurting the others who struggle against the vines. Tooth and North slash at them with blades, Bunny mutters a spell to set them on fire while Jamie and Mysterie race towards Jack. She slams into him. Jack grunts, the only noise his body makes before Jumping out of Mysterie and Jamie's way; smirking and striking first at Jamie. Jamie sends a blast of light at Jack, but it isn't very strong because he didn't want to hurt him. Jack doesn't flinch, before Mysterie can realize what he means to do a sword is run through her; Jack screams.

"NOOO!" Mysterie jolts with the pain. Roaring before thrashing about as the pain shudders through her. The sword slashes into her a second time.

"Mysterie!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> evil cliffhanger!


	14. The Transformation

Mysterie tumbles from the sky, Jamie takes her place, trying to protect her. She groans in pain; black flames grow from the ground, surrounding Mysterie, Jamie and the Guardians there was no way out... Jamie fights against the flames as best he can while the others stand guard, trying to be ready for anything. Mysterie lays limply, mostly because it's hard to keep her conscious mind split like this and she doesn't dare risk allowing the part, that holds the shield in Jack's mind, go to sleep for any length of time. The Dark Fyre turns into dragons that attack, breathing Dark Fyre at the group; Jack cries, screaming. Mysterie murmurs reassuringly to him even as the flames engulf the group. When the flames recede there's no trace of anyone in the circle of flames. Jack whines, but stays in the shield; thinking his job is done, his body was flown back to Pitch. 

"Well... guess that answers the question of what they meant exactly." Mysterie murmurs thoughtfully. Landing in the dark cavern, Jack can hear laughing.

"Well done, told you he could do it." Mysterie tries not to laugh, listening in.

 

Back at the pole....    
  
"Oi... did ya have to cut it so close mate?" Bunny rubs his singed fur.

"Waz best way. They not trouble us for while da? But something troubles me." North points to Mysterie's dragon form, it's asleep again and Jamie is working to help deal with the sword wounds.

Jack breathes heavily as they free him up, for now.

"Good work Jack never knew you had it in you." The fire spirit says. Jack growls at him.

"Go to hell." Jack is thrown into a cage for later use. 

"Well we already are Jack." Snickering, they leave Jack in the darkness; he curls in on himself, crying slightly. Mysterie senses Jamie poking at her over the bond worriedly, she sits down next to Jack behind the shield and answers him. Much to Jamie's relief as she begins to explain everything...

Jack whines, it is morning or ... well he wasn't sure; it is dark in there. He only wakes to poking and mental pain from Pitch and fire licking up his arms; he cries out.

"Wake up, time to get to work." 

Jamie paces, Mysterie's dragon form having faded back to her original form and she sleeps while the others discuss what to do now that they know what is going on. Jack groans.

"No... leave me alone..." For that he is punched by the doctor and thrown into the wall. Jack groans, in physical pain this time.

 

 

"Wrong answer Jack. You have nothing left, what else is left to fight for? They're gone." Mysterie mutters quietly to Jack.  
  
"Play along Jack... for now." Jack whines and submits reluctantly.

"Fine." They snicker.

"Now, let's go." Pitch straps Jack to the wildest of all his Nightmares and it especially doesn't like to be ridden; Jack screams as it bucks and flies, bucking and biting him a few times. Mysterie hugs Jack, watching carefully, waiting for the right time.... that was what all this was about... timing... She mutters a little.  
  
"We need a way to lure them all into one place again... take them all out in a single blast of light... Jamie should be able to do it if he's connected to me, you and the others all at the same time..." Jack nods, the Nightmare stops bucking and they are burning daylight, following the others they encased the entire place in black sand. 

"Jamie thinks live bait... but the question is who to use... because really only three of us were immune to the blast of fire..." She says thoughtfully. Jack is pushed forward.

"Make it strong Jack." He sighs, using the earth's vines and snow to make the dome of sand a hard shell. Mysterie murmurs to Jack once he's reinforced the dome.  
  
"What do you think about who it should be? I mean... Sandy would provoke Pitch and either me or Jamie would most likely provoke the doctor... though if it's me I might also end up provoking those twins... Never should have let them live... As well as that hot-headed fire spirit... I thought Mother Nature took care of him... And I don't think Pitch would be too pleased either..." Jack sighs.

"Come now Jack, it'll be fun." Jack sighs, ignoring his feelings long enough to play along. Mysterie waits to see what Jack will say on the matter, ignoring the Guardians who are bickering over the matter themselves. Jack sends over the bond his response.

 _"Just send out Bunny."_ Mysterie chuckles a little.  
  
"Much as the Pooka would love that, I don't think he'd have survived..."

 _"What?"_  He is very confused at that but before he can say anything he's pulled into North's workshop; yetis making toys were told there would be no need for any ever and a yeti painting red cars that had them neatly stack groans and gives up. Yetis move the finished toys to where they would be safe and out of the way, none of them aware of the battle that had occurred outside the workshop. In the mean time it's all agreed that Sandy will play the "lone survivor" of the battle. Jack sighs, looking at Phil helplessly as the fire king explodes and catches parts of the workshop on fire. The fire is put out by golden sand as Sandy appears. He looks a little beaten up, but otherwise fine though his expression is grim and solemn. The yetis scatter, not wanting to be in the way of the dream waver and the likely battle to ensue. Flying down, the Boogeyman snickers.

"Well, if it isn't the Sandman... all alone." He laughs at the little man, looking at Jack; the others are as well.

"What?" Jack looks around.

 

 

 

"Let's see how fire and sand mix." The fire king flies down, fire blazing towards Sandy. Sandy fends off the fire with his sand, normally it would have made glass, but before Sandy had left to face off with them Mysterie had added some of her power to his... he was the closest thing to a light spirit and could borrow some of Mysterie's power if only for a couple of days. The spirit growls, Pitch looks at Jack like 'go on, destroy him.' Jack shakes his head only to be whipped in the back by the "good doctor." Sandy's whips curl about the woman and throw her into a wall for that. Fire of anger flaring in his golden eyes a moment. He wasn't going to just allow that from a mortal woman. She would either learn to stay out of the fight or she would face the consequences. She snickered pressing a remote wolves surround Sandy, they sparked electricity; Jack gasps for air.

"Now you listen here, Jack' you're mine now." Sandy knocks the wolves out easily enough with dream sand, rendering them useless before he floats over to the woman and slams a fist into her jaw; when she woke up from the dreamsand punch... she'd be sore.... Jack shivers as Pitch snickers.

"Now be a good boy and help me destroy the last Guardian." Jack shutters as Pitch squeezes control over him; his eyes slowly turning into a white silver shade they were once before. Sandy turns to both Jack and Pitch, his face grim... where were the changelings? The changelings tackle Sandy without warning, snickering as they shock the poor Guardian; Jack cries out.

"Sandy!" Sandy struggles against the two. Jack cries out in pain, it hurt... the change hurt. He now stood before the little man, ice powering up strongly in one hand, fire in the other... Dark Fyre. Mysterie nods, seeing that they are all here...  
  
"Are you ready Jack? 'cause while it won't hurt this is going to be sudden and slightly disorienting..." Sandy struggles against the shock the two had given him, he isn't going to give up so easy. He'd been ready the whole fight to lend his strength to Jamie who is standing in the shadows now. The other three in a hidden room so not to give anything away. They were already connected to Jamie who was waiting for Mysterie's signal... Jack nods.

"Please, I'm ready." He isn't able to hold back the power forever.

"Hurry." His voice is painful to hear. Mysterie nods, she breaks the shield, doing so sends out the memories she'd gathered but it also frees the emotions to start repairing whatever damage they could as well as Jack and she disappears from his mind. Snapping back fully to her own body. She's slumped against a wall with the others and stands up quickly.  
  
"It's happened." It's all she says even as Jamie latches onto her energy and Sandy's last sending out a blinding burst of light suddenly that was a lot like the burst of light she had created when she had burst from Shadow's control. Jack gasps, all is silent. He only saw Jamie and the Guardians fighting the twins and many Nightmares around the place. Mysterie's light keeps Pitch at bay, as well as many Nightmares. Jamie slams one of the changelings into a wall, he doesn't show mercy as the changeling screams from the fire he produces next. Sandy and Tooth are busy with Nightmares while North and Bunny take on the second changeling. Jack looks around in fear, memories coming back before anyone can realize anything; Jack screams suddenly, light exploding. It erases all the Nightmares and blinds everyone that doesn't have the ability to shield themselves from its brilliance. Mysterie manages to avoid being blinded by it only because she is facing the opposite way, everyone else shields their eyes at the light... not that they are in time to stop a momentary blindness.The light dims, Jack is floating as light surrounds him; on his head are horns made of ice and wings grow out of his back as nature in four forms surrounds him. Mysterie rubs at her eyes as even though she's not blinded, the light is rather bright. Only once it dims to a more tolerable level does she chance looking around. Pitch is blinded by the light, cowering in a nearby shadow; the changelings and the fire spirit are also blinded. A white wolf snarls at Pitch, a bear made of earth and rock with green eyes is posed to kill on command, an orange fox with flames sprouting from it floats next to Jack and the last animal is an otter, Percy to be exact, but made of light.


	15. The Change

"Leave now." Jack growls, his eyes are a pure white like back when he had almost killed the changelings; the sibling changelings shiver and are gone in a flash. Pitch scowls, but disappears, leaving the unconscious doctor and the fire spirit who'd been trying, up until a moment ago, to get off a clear shot on Bunny and North. Jack snarls at the so-called-fire spirit; white fire wrapped around the 'fire king.'  

"Don't ever mess with me or my family or friends again." Jack snarls, fire squeezing and almost killing the fire spirit.

" 'Cause so help MiM I won't hesitate to kill you." He whimpers.

"Get out of my sight." The fire spirit whined and did so in a flash of fire. When the Guardians regain their sight the only one left is the unconscious doctor. Mysterie sends out her sand to deal with her, putting her in prison to spend the rest of her days... no defense of any kind and unable to make bail by the time she's done writing the report on the woman's crimes. Jack breathes heavily, the animal elements stay by his side; the wolf keeping him up basically as he is low on energy just from transforming. The moon glows down on them all and, by that magic, were healed. Mysterie glances up gratefully at the moon, though the others are just baffled; as much by the transformation as the moon's healing magic. Jack holds his staff, it is longer and more sleek; not wood anymore, it is metal at the end like the scythe Jackson wields, only it is made of ice. Jack's eyes are no longer their normal icy blue, they are dark like tiny universes. Jamie is a little hesitant, though not so much fearful as cautious... He's never seen or read about anything like this... The moon light is on Jack at the moment and he shines brightly; he flutters his wings in experimentation. The animals disappear, absorbing into him; each arm and leg has a symbol now of the color of the element that went into it. Blue dots appear under his eyes, white dots around his wrists like tattoos; green swirls wrap around his legs while red appears on his neck and chest. Mysterie watches in fascination. Jack huffs, walking over to Mysterie, acting no different than before; the only thought going through him is he is worried about the group.

"MiM never said anything about this..." He looks, around eyes wise and full of power. Mysterie is fascinated by the change. The other Guardians, Jamie included, seem only a little wary.

"What?" Jack asks, voice deeper and older.

"What's wrong?" Mysterie chuckles a little.

"Never thought I'd see the day YOU would intimidate the others." She seems amused by it. Bunny however just scowls her direction.

"What's so intimidating?" Jack actually doesn't even realize the change he's gone through; probably a talk with Mother Nature would help him with that.

"Well I wager the first show of power. You ARE the most powerful seasonal alive... anyone with half a brain can see that... and, well you did change a little even with the power subdued. Um, maybe you should look in a mirror." 

"Really guys, I'm not powerful at all. I'm baby compared to most spirits." Jack chuckles, looking in the mirror he drops it; as it smashes he manages to say.

 

 

 

"Oh God... how and why?"

"I think you have experience and power confused mate. ... it took all four of us ta fend off Pitch decades ago and yet you scare off him, two changelings and a fire ain't just no spirit can do THAT. " Bunny replies. Jack still doesn't see it really.

"No idea... but I'm nothing compared to Mother Nature still... and well MiM of course." Jack snickers, flapping his wings experimentally again. 

"You ain't no baby spirit either frostbite. " Bunny replies thoughtfully.

"Whatever." Jack flaps the wings, flying a little; the wind caresses his new appendages.

"Guess I can use your gusts for speed wind, won't need you to hold me up all the time." He smirks at his own humor.

"I feel kind of wiser but not too wise." Jamie chuckles as does Mysterie. The others seem a little apprehensive still but they are starting to relax. Jack floats down.

"Now... um... I wonder if I can go back to my self again. I think I need to talk to Mother Nature about this; I've only heard of winters evolving once and that's it. I evolved twice... this is basically my third, counting Cecil." Mysterie nods in agreement.  
  
"I'm sure she'll have the answers you seek." Jack smiles, flying off towards the area, only to feel strange as leaves sprout out of his antlers, his hair now having four strips in colors; red, blue, of course white, and green. Mother Nature is waiting alone in the center of the palace. In fact, the place seems a little quite... as if all the spirits are asleep. Jack is curious as to what is going on; he breathes in... never usually saying this or calling her this but it is needed to get attention and he also feels quite lost.

"Mom." She smiles at Jack when she sees him.  
  
"I've been expecting you, Jack." Jack stands before her, very confused.

"What's happened to me? I don't know why it's happened... but how do I go back to myself?"

"Well, you've done what few spirits do, but most humans tend to do. You've matured. As for going back... no one can go back, but if you mean your appearance then you simply need choose it."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jack is not sure.

"You mean I was growing up? That kind of also explains my weird mood swings from before hibernation.... OMG I WENT THROUGH PUBERTY!!" Jack nearly goes unconscious. She chuckles.  
  
"I wouldn't say that Jack, but you could see it that way."

 

 

"Oh God..." He shook his head.

"But... what did you mean by how I choose my look? You mean I can't go back?!"

"Calm down Jack. I mean that you choose how you appear to others, but you can't simply go back to what you were. You can't go back in time, but you can choose your appearance. You have been able to master the four elements, something that is very rare among spirits." Jack huffs.

"Well I suppose that's okay, but where am I gonna find a hoodie that fits?" She gives Jack a gentle smile. 

"I'm sure your friends can help you with that Jack. There are plenty who would help you, you only need ask."

"Alright." He huffs.

"Well, is there anything else you want to tell me?" He says, knowing there is probably more to this change. He feels slightly uncomfortable, poking and prodding at his antlers.

"Why did I get antlers? This sucks." He looks to see if there are any other new parts to him.

"SERIOUSLY?!" He pulls it up from behind him, how could he **not** notice that little detail? A fox tail next to a wolf one, like a two-tailed fox ... except both tails aren't fox tails.

"Want? Hmmm, that might not be quite the correct term. You should know, however, that the other seasonals will look to you for guidance from time to time. You will be an inspiration to them, as you have been to young Andrew." She smiles a little.  
  
"You have grown since the first day you emerged. I could not be more proud of you, my son." Jack smiles.

"Thank you and I've never been more happy to have a family as I have; a mom and dad, like you and MiM." He says happily, flushing at the tails wagging like a dog's. She smiles at that.  
  
"As for your appearance. Each is part is a show of the elements you control as well as your connection to nature. I am sure that if you wish it, you will be able to retain that appearance. After all, I believe you have done so before." Jack scratches behind his ears, all of a sudden morphing into a wolf.

"What the heck happened?" He asks but all that can be heard is: rrrar awooo  Jack thinks back to his form and returns to it.

"Okay, well I better get fitted with a new jacket." He flies off with his new wings, experimenting with his transformations; he becomes a butterfly, a griffin, and a dragon before ending back in his original. His staff, that looks a lot like Jackson's now, helps him fly. She watches him leave with a smile. Jack sighs, shaking his antlers and flying to the castle home, inside it's a disaster as the cubs had tore through everything.

"Andrew?"


	16. Growing

"Andrew? Koda? Kira?" Jack is confused... where the hell is he and the cubs? He was only gone for an hour. Andrew shrieks in laughter, being mobbed by the two cubs as they roll around in one of the rooms; playing. Jack looks at Andrew, eyes stern, power slightly flashing.

"Andrew" His tone is stern too; the cubs whimper backing away to their little litter box. Jack sighs.

"You let them tear the house up or tried to stop them, explain now." Andrew's eyes widen and after a moment he sighs, hanging his head a little.  
  
"I tried at first... but I couldn't get them to listen to me..." Jack folds his arms.

"Well you get them to listen, they are only so young and now that I think about it Mysterie was right. Was I really this childish?" Andrew rubs one arm with the other, not sure what to say to that. Jack groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Just... just you're.... I don't know. Just clean up the mess and for the bears they're grounded or whatever; no fish treats for a week, regular fish." They whine and Jack groans.

"God..." He walks off, slipping into his hammock, sleeping until Mysterie returns. Jamie and Mysterie both return to the castle in their own time. Jamie before her because she was stuck explaining things to the Guardians while Jamie returns to see to the remaining damage as well as the new... Andrew cleans up the mess as best he can, even repairing the damage to walls when Jamie returns. Jack awakens, still shirtless, but grumpy and not as cheerful, but more wise and smart. He starts fixing the rooms.

"I think it's time we send them back into the wild Andrew." He points to the two cubs. Andrew doesn't argue, though he doesn't seem happy about it. Jamie raises an eyebrow slightly at that, having been taking notes on a few things that he thought might needed improving on the castle structure; mostly his own thoughts on its build and how to reinforce it with various spells to keep it from being so easily damaged. Jack groans at the bear crap.

"You let them crap too... why didn't you take them outside!" Jack sighs.

"They'll be fine, they will live; I'll make sure." He says, annoyed by the cubs who think he used to be fun; now they look at him in sadness.

"Come on Koda, Kira; let's go." They whine and stay next to Andrew as if he could protect them. Andrew sighs a little as the two look at him but he shakes his head at them.  
  
"Come on you two, it had to happen sometime. Just think of it as a great adventure." He smiles a little encouragingly at them, wondering in the back of his mind what had changed in the last few hours. Jack picks up the cubs, taking them to the river where it is known mama bears took in cubs; he smiles as they are taken by a large ... really large... grizzly. He waves bye to the cubs who whimper before following the larger bear; Jack returns in a flash. When Jack returns Andrew is talking quietly to Mysterie in North's library, she murmurs something to him and he nods a little before heading for a nearby window and taking off into the night. The two having been visiting the Guardians while Jamie was patching up the castle.

"Where's he going?" Jack looks confused.

 

 

 

"And do you know if you can get a hoodie in my size?" Jack gestures to his newly grown pack. 

"I'm sure North can make you one. As for Andrew, I'm not entirely sure. He just said he wanted to visit an old friend."

"Okay then and damn... when it comes to North he's been trying to get me out of hoodies and into real clothes." He look at her, sighing.

"Well Mother Nature says I basically went through puberty before hibernation and I'm stuck this way." Mysterie raises an eyebrow at that, finding it hard to believe.  
  
"Did she actually say you were stuck like that?"

"I'm not sure it seems like I'm stuck this way... but I don't know." Jack tries shifting back, not quite able to; only shifting into something more feminine. Jack gasps, it isn't a male voice.... his hair is long and white, body slender and skinny.... and, well, boobs poking out quite big for the little body like a little anime girl. Jack's pants now hug his slender frame and his feet are smaller.

"Mysterie.... what happened?" Jack asks, curiosity tinging bond. Curious alarm comes from Jamie while Mysterie nearly falls over laughing.  
  
"I... I think you need to c-concentrate more..." She manages out between her laughter, Jamie doesn't seem too amused with the change but Mysterie is finding this hilarious. Jack cover him- herself.

"It's not funny!" Jack walks over, cuffing her on the head as he picks up some of Mysterie's clothes from a drawer, wrapping them around him/her as he/she tries morphing back but it appears that Jack is stuck.

"Uh... Mysterie... I'm stuck." Jack says worriedly. Mysterie finally calms down, not put off really by the transformation.  
  
"Here... I think I can help a little. You're not stuck, you just need to concentrate a little better."  She moves over to Jack and puts a hand on his/her shoulder.  
  
"Alright... now picture yourself again." When Jack begins to shift again there is the feel of a gentle nudge of her light magic guiding Jack's to shift the right way this time. Jack's hair shortens back to its original style, but now he has antlers still, but he is able to fit in his hoody once more.

"Thanks." Jack looks around.

"Where is everyone?" Mysterie shrugs a little.  
  
"I don't really keep tabs on Jamie anymore. He tends to wander off as much as a black sheep does."

"Okay." Jack sits down, huffing.

 

 

"Gosh, that's what that was back there.... before my hibernation, puberty.... oh God."

"Hmmm?" She's not sure she understands what he's talking about.

"Well, you know... when I went through those crazy mood swings that actually wasn't even darkness going on there.... except angst. I was basically growing up there." Jack explains everything about what Mother Nature told him, to her, afterwards. Mysterie considers the new information.  
  
"I don't think that's quite what she meant, Jack, but I understand it. It is a rare thing." Her mind drifts back to past times, when things had seemed simpler... but they really hadn't been. Jack sits in the chair.

"It kind of hurts, you know?" He says as the winds change to warmer climates, as he is still learning his powers. She nods a little.  
  
"Change can. Especially if it's as sudden as yours has been, you haven't changed quite as gradually as I or Jamie have. Not to mention it's a little contradictory to your normal personality and that causes issues on its own as well." Jack huffs.

"Does that mean I'll be changing in personality as well?" He asks curiously... what's going to happen to him as he adjusts?

"Only if you choose. A change in one's personality is a choice, not something that can be forced.... not that a certain doctor didn't try."

"Yeah." He winces at that, remembering the chemicals; he shivers.

"Bunny is having a field day with that actually... North too." She shakes her head a little, pushing the memory of that... having been put through THAT twice, once being voluntary... was one time too many.

"What?! Why?" He shivers, feeling energy passing through him then repeating.

"Apparently he dabbled in chemistry at one point before he was a Guardian... or something like it." She shrugs.

"Oh." Jack closes his eyes, listening to the air and nature around him; it is disturbed when there is a loud crash. Mysterie glances around at the sound, wondering what that could be since Andrew had left... and he wasn't the type to make a mess anyway... Jamie? That didn't quite seem right either. Jack wonders what the hell that can be as well.

"Stay here." She stays put, though normally she would have gone along just to see... Mysterie shakes her head, realizing that she is still under the influence of the doctor... sort of... They had rearranged a lot in her head... She still hasn't fully recovered from that. Jack walks in staff pointed to strike anything that moves; the thing that fell was a large bookcase in North's study.

"Alright, who's in here?! Anyone messes with the Guardians you mess with me too!" Jack growls only to hear a squeak in reply.


	17. Unexpected Guests

Mysterie wonders what could possibly have made it past North's security... considering it is a lot more tighter now... Or had been growing to be such since her first year as a spirit. Had it really not been that long ago that she was among the living? Jack looks about only to see that it is a unicorn; it is tiny, like a pony in size. The tiny thing is intermittently tossing its head and rearing in fright, considering that Jack is so much lager than it is. Jack is shocked to see it.

"Hey, whoa... it's okay." His marks gently glowing a calming aura towards the unicorn. The unicorn snorts in response, pawing at the ground; not easily calmed since Jack is bigger than it is, but at least it has stopped rearing and doesn't look like it is about to bolt.

"Hey little guy, you're fin-" Before Jack can finish he is tackled and knocked unconscious by the mother. Mysterie frowns a little as she notices the jolt of pain along the bond and goes to investigate this time. The grown unicorn snorts, stepping on Jack, breaking a few ribs before kicking him across the room. Mysterie walks into the room in time to see Jack fly across it; she sighs a little, seeing the unicorns.

"Well... don't see that every day..." She sent some sand to Jack to deal with the damage while she distracted the unicorns with some sand, sending it crashing into a bookshelf when it charges at the sand. Jack is out cold; the unicorn bites at Mysterie instead of the sand and tries to pound into them both a second time. Mysterie slams the creature with dream sand, having little other alternative and shoves the sleepy creature in a direction away from Jack so that she can deal with any of his other wounds. The little unicorn snorts, cowering near its sleeping parent while Jack finally returns to consciousness, whining.

"P-please it h-hurts..." Mysterie does what she can to ease the pain, though she still could only dull it to about tolerable levels at best as the sand stitches Jack back up.

"What happened?" Jack whines, only to gag and throw up a little when Mysterie accidentally touches a nerve that set off the gag reflex. She sighs a little as the sand finishes its work and then cleans up the resulting mess too.

"Unicorn. Most gentle creature you'll ever encounter... if you're a woman. Men, on the other hand... often end up being on the horn end of the deal." She looked over at the two.

"You won't find anything more pure in creature form. Though what a pair is doing  **here** of all places is a curiosity. Mostly they stick to Central Park."

"I don't know, maybe they smelled North's cookies and came for a bite to eat." She shakes her head.

"Funny, but no. They are picky eaters." 

"What are they doing here then?" Jack says, slightly scowling at the little unicorn and its mother.

"I don't know, but it can't be good. Go find one of the others... preferably Tooth." 

 

 

"Okay." Jack pulls himself from the indent in the floor and flies off in search of Tooth. Mysterie puts the place mostly back to rights and then settles next to the little unicorn who has laid down next to its mother and settles its head on her lap. Jack searches for Tooth.

"Tooth?" He calls out to her, but it appears no one else is at the pole. Turning a corner has Jack nearly slamming into Jamie who has been a little alarmed by the commotion.

"Whoa!" Jack jumps back. Jamie nearly jumps back himself, he'd been so off in thought that he hadn't been expecting anyone to be nearby much less around the same corner. Jack feels like his heart is beating really fast, he groans a little.

"Jamie, we got a slight problem and I just got my ass kicked by a unicorn and its foal." Jamie winces a little.

"Ouch... guess we should find Tooth then. The rest of us aren't going to be of any help." 

"Okay then." Jack smiled.

"Let's go... ouch... I think I got a broken rib or two still." Jamie soothes some of the pain.

"Yeah... and how it is it you managed to tick off this unicorn?" 

"I really don't know, only tried to calm its baby down but next thing I know I'm slammed into a wall and nearly trampled to death by its mother." He looks around the hall.

"Anywho... let's get going." 

"Ah.... that would be why, motherly instincts." Jamie says as he moves over to a nearby window and steps out into the southern wind's grip. Jack followed closely, the north wind was busy so the south and east wind took him. Jamie heads off for Tooth's palace, hoping the fairy was there instead of out on the field. Jack feels slightly light-headed; he floats closer to Jamie.

"Mind if I piggyback?" He asked him gently. Jamie just smiled a little, shifting so that Jack could climb on; Jack climbs on, giggling like a school girl. Jamie chuckled, hooking his arms around Jack's legs before flying off again towards Tooth's. Jack play and braided Jamie's hair. The south wind hit him a little and the north came to his defense.

"Stop it, I'm braiding here. Stop! You're messing everything up!" He scolded both as he added a flower to each braid. Jamie growled a little at the south wind and it settled grumpily. Jack clapped a little at the braids he'd created with the flowers to boot even as he weaves a necklace and put it on Jamie along with a feather from his wings; it hurt... but for Jamie, anything.

 

 

"I'd rather you not do that unless you need to." Jamie says, having noticed the pain; he didn't mind the braids or flowers, it was sort of a relief to him in a way because it meant that while Jack might have changed slightly, he was still himself... The spirit that he'd fallen in love with and that was all that mattered.

"But I don't mind at all." Jack said as he clasps the necklace with ice as a locking mechanism.

"You might not, but I'd rather you not be in any pain at all. I don't think you understand how much it hurts when you feel pain... I mean, it's not like feeling it myself." Jamie admitted quietly after a moment.

"Fine." He lay his head on Jamie's a little, fainting; he nearly slipped off as his grip loosened on Jamie who shifted so that Jack didn't fall off him. He wondered just how much of a loop he'd been knocked for by that unicorn. The wind brushes Jamie's hair in a gentle 'thank you' for helping Jack. Jamie smiles a little at the gesture and settles down when he sees Tooth's palace.

"Tooth?" Jack was out for sure as he slipped out of Jamie's grip and fell to the floor with a thud. Jamie turns to pick him up off the floor as a bunch of fairies flitter over to him.

"Find Tooth for me please." The group chirps and flies off, meanwhile at the pole the unicorn was starting to wake up. Jamie found a couch to put Jack on; while Mysterie is dealing with the waking unicorn, Tooth flutters over to where Jamie's at.

"Jamie? What brings you here?" 

"Besides Jack? North has a unicorn problem in his library. Jack kinda got knocked around." Tooth winces a little.

"Guess I'll go see what I can do, you're welcome to use the place in my absence. My fairies will help, but don't shirk your work girls." She says to the fairies that are hanging around before flying off towards the pole. Jack has shifted in his sleep and he kissed the couch.

"Jamie, why do you taste like upholstery?" He asks in his sleep. Jamie flushes, chuckling a little and shifting so that he can give Jack a kiss rather than having him kiss the couch. Jack 'mmms' in contentment before falling further into sleep, grinning a little, showing his teeth; scaring the little tooth fairies as his teeth are still as sharp as wolves'. Jack reminds Jamie a lot of a cat as his legs and arms were spread about haphazardly. Jamie smiles and settles nearby while the fairies dart away, back to their work. Jack grabs onto the nearest thing in his sleep, Jamie.


	18. The Dark Within

"Mr. Teddy." He mumbles, Jamie chuckles a little; not too bothered by that. This isn't the first this has happened anyway. Jack sniffs at his head a little bit; the next thing Jamie knows is that Jack is nibbling on his hair and licking it. Jamie chuckles; he's learned to carry something with him because this happens so often. He pulls away only to stick a sucker in Jack's mouth. Jack sucks on the sucker like an infant given a teething toy. He 'mmms' in contentment. Jamie keeps him close to make sure he doesn't choke on it in his sleep. Jack sucks on it, looking a little like a baby as he does; Jamie just watches a moment before curiously trailing his fingers along one of Jack's wings. Jack twitches in reflex, his wings move and slam into Jamie at the simple touch. Jamie winces a little, but he figures he sort of deserved that. He chuckles a little, rubbing his chest and moves to settle back down where he'd been originally. Jack's wings still flapped a little, twitching in irritation because they needed to be cleaned; Jamie looks at them a moment before summoning the southern wind to help him. It ruffles gently through the feathers, picking out anything that shouldn't be in them, which seemed to be an assortment of things from a few leaves to mostly black sand and chemicals from the battle that the "good doctor" had needled Jack with before Jack's transformation. Jamie frowns at this and the wind disposes of it into space at his command once it's finished cleaning the wings so that they glimmer. Jack whines and turns over, the wings folding over him in a protective dome of feathers and muscle; Jamie doesn't touch Jack but he does snag the stick of the sucker so Jack didn't try to eat that as well. Thorns grow out of the wings, pointing at Jamie; Jack doesn't even realize he's doing this at all as it's not a conscious things, the markings glow their elemental colors as they react to the new adjustments. Jamie just watches in curiosity. Jack yawns an hour later, the tiny spikes went back into him with a soft "shhh" sound, like a sword drawn and sheathed. Jack rubs his eyes and spreads his wings, his fox and wolf tail twitching as well as he shakes his head; accidentally bumping into Jamie with his antlers.

"Hey now... careful there." 

"Sorry." He finished stretching out his limbs.

"How long have I been asleep?" 

"Not too long. I already sent Tooth to the workshop with Mysterie to deal with the uninvited guests." Jack's tails wag, brushing against a sensitive spot on Jamie's thigh though Jack doesn't realize it. Jamie shivers a little.

"Um... do those tails of yours have minds of their own or not?" 

"They have a mind of their own, not my fault really." Jack pinches the bridge of one and the two stop moving, it hurt him more than the tails but he got them to stop.

"It only hurts a little when I do that but it's fine." 

"I'm not complaining, just asking. They are a part of you anyway, kind of like how soft the wings are... yeah it's going to take a while to get used to them, but still. It doesn't matter what you look like. It's you I fell in love with, not just your looks." Jack blushed, his wings fluttering at that and his tails wag as he leans into Jamie or tries to, the wings sort of get in the way.

 

 

"I have a feeling my wings have a mind of their own as well." Jack huffs. Jamie chuckles, gently brushing one of the wings aside to slip his arms around Jack. The wings lash out, trying to protect Jack as one of his symbols glowed; the blue one.

"I don't know what that means..." Jack is kind of worried as what is going on because he didn't understand why they were feeling threatened by Jamie when he didn't.

"Hmmmmm... well, it looks like it might be your element Jack. Water. Although I can't say I know what its reacting to." Jamie says as he looks at the symbol as it momentarily appears along the wings as the ice appears from them.

"It doesn't seem to like you then?" Jack asks, watching as he tries to push his wings out of the way but they just seemed to go right back to where they had been.

"What the heck!"

"Perhaps, or just don't like being touched. You did say they have a mind of their own... I'd say the tails like me well enough." 

"Well... I guess so." Jack shivers, anger making the symbols pulse and glow, turning a misty black before returning to their original colors.

"I suppose I can't blame it... being a light spirit I'm most closely related to fire and the elements of fire and water don't normally get along well." Jack huffs.

"Yeah, but it's not supposed to be that way with you, I mean I have the fire element, why does it get along well with it!" The symbols started to turn blacker every time that Jack got angry or upset and the feathers of his wings were slowly turning black as well.

"Well, it kind of doesn't have a choice when it's part of you. At this point I'd say you need to learn to exert more control over each." Jack huffs.

"Yeah, like you have to live with four types of elements inside you." Jack says under his breath, slowly the blackening symbols returned to their normal colors and the feathers as the tips back to the midnight blue that they were. Jack shivers as the energy flows like normal again.

"Guess I got training to do later today." Jamie nods.

"Shall we return to the pole and see how the ladies are fairing?" Jack thinks for a moment, the symbols glowing a brown like they were thinking as well.

"Yeah, okay." Jamie flies up and headed back towards the pole; Jack flew right beside Jamie, flying with his wings but the wind helped him float if he needed to. As they flew Jack began to feel faint, the wings seemed to take a lot of his energy as if he was running non-stop and he fainted a little before he caught himself.

"It'll take me a while to strengthen myself to fly with these I guess." He says to himself.

 

 

Jamie circles around the workshop when he arrives until he finds a window to the library, not really wanting to go inside if the unicorn is still there. After all, he didn't want to risk its ire... or that of Tooth and Mysterie for riling the beast. The unicorn had caught sight of them and was now rearing in anger at Mysterie and Tooth; Jack flew into the library only to be kicked into a wall. He coughed up blood in pain. Tooth flies over to Jack to check him over, worry in her eyes while Mysterie puts the beast to sleep for a second time. Jack groans, his insides hurt and his eyes flashed with fire briefly that was pure evil; that scares the hell out of Tooth as Dark Fyre surrounds his wings, something in Jack snaps for no reason.

"It must die." Jack's voice echoes and he pulls out a katana made of pure fire from seemingly no where, it had come from one of his symbols.

"Jack no!" Sand flares up like a wall between Mysterie and Jack as she protects the creature; alarm flares in Jamie even as Mysterie glances over at Jamie who is hovering just outside the window.

"Get him out of here! Now!" Jamie nods, trying to get close to Jack now. Jack snarls, breaking the wall of sand; he is pure element at the moment. Black fire exploded outward, slamming Tooth into a wall and destroying a lot of the library; the little unicorn hid behind its mother as Jack's shadow cast over the two, the baby shaking as if to say 'I don't want to die.' Jack glared at the creature, taking his stance and raising his sword, ready to kill it. Before Jack could strike, Jamie grabbed him and teleported them both to the Castle with a flash of light; once there he released his hold on Jack. Leaving Tooth and Mysterie to clean up the mess, and the two decided to relocate the two unicorns to the stables for the time being. Mysterie stayed with the unicorns there while Tooth explained to North about his library and helped fix it... North was not happy. At the Castle, Jack growled, blazing fire everywhere; nothing was safe and he even attacked Jamie a few times with ice and Dark Fyre, a couple of the blows slamming into him. Jamie winces more at the anger than the attacks, but he doesn't have any trouble in dealing with the Dark Fyre. He is a light spirit after all, though he is worried about the other things that Jack might do... things he might not be able to defend against or handle... Jack growls, lashing out at Jamie with water, forming a bubble around him and squeezing his hand so that the bubble gets smaller and smaller, the air and pressure getting thinner and thinner as Jack snarls and the water heats up, beginning to boil. Jamie struggles against the bubble, but there wasn't anything he could do against it; his eyes widen in fright as he struggles to get out. Jack snarls, squeezing the bubble tighter; something in him is screaming to stop... to let him go... Jack shakes his head and his eyes flash briefly blue as he gags in pain before dropping the bubble and falling to his knees. He breathes heavily, the fire dissipating from the feathers, going back to the midnight blue and white but the symbols stay black for a long time before going back to normal and the Dark Fyre leaves Jack completely. He doesn't look at Jamie who had passed out in the bubble... but that was only the beginning as he coughs up a bit of water before growling.

"Let me know when you manage to control yourself... or maybe you'd rather I do it for you..." Violet eyes gleam with power as they regard Jack. Jack's eyes widen at that in slight fear as the blackness left him; now he was afraid.

"J-jamie..." He backs up but something in him didn't want him to give into him; fire shoots out from him at Jamie, out of his control, causing Jack to gasp.

"JAMIE!" 


	19. Returning

He chuckles darkly as he bats the fire away without any trouble.

"Really now, can't you tell us apart... Oh wait, never mind. I forgot what a headache you were at times. Been too long... but I can see you've managed to change since last time..." He smirks a little. Jack shakes with fear, the darkness in him growling; he was afraid.

"I-i..." He stutters, his heart beating harshly.

"Geez... you still spook easy too. I'm going to get something to eat while you settle." He walks out of the room. Jack shivers as his darkness all but rolls in anger; he was terrified of Puppetmaster still, since that almost future version, he tried to calm himself down.

"Jamie, I'm sorry." He hugs his knees, realizing what he had almost just done. Sensing that something isn't right, Mysterie leaves the sleeping unicorns to Tooth and heads for the ice castle where she can sense Jack... but what worries her is the lack of sense she gets from Jamie. Jack sniffs, tears falling in a puddle around him as he could cry more than an average person now with water as one of his elements. He sniffs.

"I want Jamie back." He whispers to the empty room.

"I want to tell him I'm sorry." He sniffles. Mysterie flies into an open window, she can sense Jack's sadness; she follows the sensation to find which room he's in.

"Jack?" Jack shivers, the floor wet and slick from his tears as she moves over to him.

"Jamie. I almost killed Jamie, drowned him in a bubble and Puppet is in control and, and-" Jack burst into tears. Mysterie barely understands what Jack has just said as she moves to wrap her arms around him, murmuring softly.

"Calm down Jack, you're a little hard to understand like this hun." She wipes away his tears. Jack sniffles and explains slowly what's happened.

"I want Jamie back." He wraps his arms around her, crying into her like a child that had lost everything. Mysterie held him close, not saying anything.  _This can't be good at all..._ While she is comforting Jack, Puppetmaster pulls out some of the deer that has been stored into the freezer and begins to cook it. Jack whines, shivering and shaking as the darkness in him turns his feathers black again.

"Why is he back? Why?" Jack whimpers. 

"If I had to guess... I'd say as a defense mechanism." She says softly. Jack shivers.

 

 

"It's my fault... it's all my fault." The dark colors on Jack grow as he beats himself up. Mysterie can't argue with that but she knew it wasn't going to change anything and she gently shakes him.

"Jack, stop... this isn't going to change anything. It's not going to help." Jack shivers, gagging again and coughing up blood; it was happening again... what had happened before he'd changed.

"I-i can't..." He shakes as Dark Fyre starts to appear once more on his wings. Mysterie gently takes Jack's head in her hands, meeting his gaze.

"Yes you can. Focus. You can do this Jack, I believe in you." Jack's eyes are clouding again, but he believes her; he knows that she does but he can't take the pain and he pushes her away. His wings flapping as Dark Fyre surrounds him in a circle and he cries out, his eyes roll back into his head as the darkness awakens in him for the second time that day. Mysterie counteracted the darkness before it could do anything to her, encasing Jack in light. The darkness hissed at her, but then laughed evilly, tainting Jack's laugh as Dark Fyre burned through her light; he wagged a finger at her like 'no, no... bad.' before engulfing her in Dark Fyre and water. The fire didn't do anything, but the force of the water sends her skidding across the room and drenches her. She frowns.

"Seriously? I'm  **not** a fire spirit..." She sent her sand after him, knowing that the fire she could create wouldn't help. Jack dodges it, grabbing her and slamming her into a wall, summoning a rock knife sharp enough to carve and shred skin; he tries stabbing at her head several times, but she barely ducks his attempts. It gives her the perfect opportunity to toss a strong dose of sleep sand in his face, which she does. The darkness growls, rubbing at its red eyes, growling all the way to fight off the sand like it was nothing.

 **"Your tricks won't' work on me, light spirit."**  His voice is deeper than Jack's, but it has a tinge that screams pure evil in every syllable. Mysterie winces, now feeling a spike of fear and she begins to understand what Jamie must have gone through only moments before... Snickering, he uses the darkness around him to wrap around her mind and squeeze at her inner light.

 _"NO! STOP IT!"_ Mysterie can hear Jack's cries over the bond, his pain is pushed into her, his fear... everything that Jack feels... and using that as a distraction he grabs her, slamming her into the floor, pulling out a katana from one of the symbols on Jack's shoulder, chuckling.

"It appears I have won, light spirit. He can't hear you anymore nor will he ever again." She stares as the blade is pulled out pointed at her, she braces herself for a blow that doesn't come... much as Jack might despise his power. Puppetmaster was pulling the strings now, literally. Keeping him from moving.

"Ah ah ha... No touchy." He growls.

 **"What?!"** He snarls, shaking, trying to make the blow hit but it won't.

 **"What is wrong with me? Why can't I move?!** " He yells in anger.

 

 

"Really? I AM the Puppetmaster. Did you really think I'd pick such a name at random? You're my little puppet. You can't do anything unless I give you permission... got it?" Mysterie winces at that, only a little relieved that Jamie has this power. He growls.

 **"I AM NOBODIES PUPPET!"** He roared, the dark aura taking effect on the strings, trying to cut them mentally. Jamie laughed darkly.

"Struggle all you like, but your new powers won't save you. My ability to puppeteer others skirts all elements because light is everywhere, even when there seems to be no light at all. Give it up." Mysterie shrinks back from them both. The darkness growls, struggling still until finally he lost control over Jack and Jack lost consciousness, thudding to the floor; his body twitches slightly, shaking as the darkness recedes for now. Mysterie just watches, shuddering a little as Jamie walks over to Jack.

"Tsk tsk. You really never change do you?" Mysterie swallows as Jamie picks Jack up and moves over to the nearest bedroom; she follows silently and he lays Jack on the bed, gently brushing aside a few locks away from his face.

"I... I understand w-why you're here... but why have you s-stayed?" Mysterie is still a little fearful of him.

"Because I'm needed. You two never did get that did you?" He laughs a little.

"Never did want to take over the world... that's just too easy after all." Mysterie just stares at him as he leaves. Jack whines a little bit before he settles down completely, he gropes about for his teddy that he always laid on the bed. Mysterie scoots the teddy over so that Jack doesn't have to search too far for it before she heads to the tower with a slight sigh. Jack squeezes it to death in his grip, but smiles; dreaming sweet dreams, it is all he has now. Mysterie sighs quietly as she stares out at the stars; Jack turns a little in his sleep. She stares up at the sky, the moon rises.

"Why?" She murmurs quietly, but it goes unanswered. Puppetmaster settles in Jamie's usual room, but only for a light doze; alert for Jack, completely ignoring Mysterie. Jack whines, turning in his sleep again as nightmares that are worse than before come to him thanks to the darkness in him. Puppetmaster was alert to this, listening to it for a while before sighing; he slipped into the dream to see what it was this time.

 _"Reduced to inducing nightmares again? Pathetic."_ He grumbles at the darkness. Jack shudders as the darkness stops assaulting Jack as it turns; it has no actual form, just shadows and Dark Fyre to make it up with a pair of red eyes.

 _ **"What are you doing here? Get** **out."**_ The voice is doubled, like many voices talking all at once.

 _"Thought I'd see what all the fuss was about. You're keeping me up you know and I'm no more happy about it than anyone else. Besides... I'd have thought you'd learned from earlier that you just can't order me about. I'm not the weakling you are."_ He crosses his arms, hardly impressed. It growls.

 _ **"Neither am I the weakling you think I am. I am no mere puppet to you."**_ It snickers darkly, disappearing and the shadows talk from everywhere and no where at once.

 ** _"This is mine. Jack is mine. So you should know this is my world, you're in my territory."_  **Puppetmaster chuckles.

 _"So you think... you see... neither you nor Jack have been taught how to deal on the plane of dreams... Mysterie has been kind enough, however, to train me in everything that she knows... so I'd say you're all bark and no bite. You're so bad it seems you can't even manage the simple task of taking form."_ He smirks.


	20. Heart of Darkness

The darkness seethes in rage, the walls shake from Jack's pain and its anger; it snickers.

 _ **"Well, I may not have a form yet, but I will soon."**_ Its chuckle turns dark as a loud screech fills Jack's head and Puppet's; Jack cries out in his sleep as it hurt him a lot more than Jamie. Puppetmaster waves away the screeching.

 _"Oh please. You know what... I want some sleep tonight so why don't you just crawl back into your hole before I MAKE you... and believe me, I can do a lot more unpleasant things to you here than in the waking world... So let's play nice hmmm?"_ It smirks.

 ** _"The more negative emotions Jack gives out the stronger I get."_** It laughs before Jack wakes up from the pain, holding his heart, managing to push Puppetmaster out of his head. He looked about in slight fear before laying back on the pillow; he stares at the ceiling for the longest moment, trying to catch his breath. Puppetmaster lets out a sigh; yes he knew that, part of the reason he was here was because Jack seems to have an unnatural fear of him and he isn't sure why that is... well, no. He could guess the reason. Damn that futuristic prick... Okay, so he couldn't blame him for wanting Jack but still... Jack thinks for a moment, his heart settling.

"What do I do?" He asks himself, not realizing that Puppetmaster was next to him as he sniffs, covering his face; crying in confusion, he feels lost... lost in the darkness.  Damn it all... he'd lose his reputation for this if it ever got out... but this was Jack damn it... He moves to settle next to Jack, wrapping his arms around him, but he doesn't say anything. Jack sniffs, ignoring the fact that it is Puppetmaster... He just wants to be held and he wraps his arms around him, frosting his shirt fully with his tears. With an inward sigh, he just holds Jack closer; why did things have to be so complicated? He lightly rubs Jack's back in a gesture of comfort. Jack hiccups, crying and hiccuping until he cries himself into exhaustion. Puppetmaster gently threads his fingers through Jack's hair, sighing quietly; Jack shivers, he is really hot now and it is quite painful. Sighing quietly again, he shifts the temperature of the room to be colder to make Jack comfortable; Jack smiles, the temperature cooling him down and he nuzzles into Puppetmaster in contentment. He gently ruffled Jack's hair affectionately. It was a few hours later when Jack woke up; he stares at the ceiling, feeling rested, sort of, as his wings stretch out as he stretches. He thinks for a moment before getting up and going to a mirror.

"God, I look like crap."

"You really need to stop doing that you know." Puppetmaster mutters sleepily from the bedroom; he hadn't left all night, though he had put enough distance between the two of them so that Jack's wings wouldn't react violently to him when Jack woke up. Jack huffs, annoyed, and goes to the bathroom to take a shower except he has a problem... his wings are too big.

"Need some help?" Puppetmaster calls after a moment; he didn't have wings, but he imagined they wouldn't be easy to clean or maintain so long as Jack insisted on keeping them.

"Yeah, I guess a little. I can never get them to fold when I need them to." Jack thought as the symbols glow brightly, the wings fold in afterwards.

"Never mind." He calls and closes the door accidentally on Puppetmaster's foot, locking the door as well as he takes his shower. He yelped a little when the door slammed on his foot as he had moved to investigate more than help honestly. Puppetmaster hadn't been surprised when Jack had shot the offer down. Well... he will leave him to it then. Grumbling under his breath about the door, he leaves the bedroom, limping slightly. Jack cleans and sings, his voice slight melodic and carries through the castle upon the wind; Jack sings in a language of old that was around the 1700s and in Dutch as well. Mysterie can't help but smile a little at the sound as she wakes up to it. Puppetmaster chuckles softly, going to his own room to lounge on the bed a little and listen to the song. Jack finishes it as he turns off the water, smiling; he shakes out his hair, flapping his wings to make a gust; he never noticed the beautiful magic that flows around the castle as he had sang the song it brought a peaceful atmosphere with it. Jack dries himself off and cleans his feathers, which takes only half an hour on each wing, before getting dressed. He focuses on his body being right to fit into the clothing. Mysterie smiles a little, she always did think that Jack had a beautiful singing voice... even if he had never agreed.

 

 

Jack walks downstairs to start cooking, looking through the cabinets; he feels confused.  _Where are my spices?_ He thinks. Puppetmaster gives the impression that the kitchen had been rearranged a little the previous day and that the spices were off to Jack's left, from where they'd used to be. Jack sends back an impression of 'thanks' as he finds the spices, looking and finding his cooking utensils before he starts to make a simple soup since today seems like a great day for it; it is a type of hazelnut soup. Turning on the stove, Jack sets his soup pot down, filling it with water before mixing in the spices and broths. Puppetmaster sends back the impression of 'you're welcome.' Mysterie is slightly confused that the two seem to be getting along, but she doesn't let too much of this into the bond; not wanting to upset things. Jack smiles, cooking happily; he slightly hums a song from back in the days. Puppetmaster stays in his room, not as much to avoid anyone as to just think and eliminate a certain distraction... Jack adds rosemary, pepper and salt before adding his ginger and vegetables; he goes to the fridge for the veggies; he picks out a nice lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots. Smiling, he washes them and then goes to the cutting board to cut them into smaller pieces before adding them. Once they are in the soup he lets it simmer, using some tasting spoons to test it after a while; he smiles, it was going good so he turns the burner on low and sits in a chair nearby to wait for it to finish cooking. Mysterie wanders into the kitchen a little timidly, still shaken from the other day. Jack glances her direction with worry before shifting his gaze back to the food; his hair shadows his face, hiding his expression as he is afraid to look at her or talk to her. Mysterie shivers, trying to push away the memory. Jack can be really scary when he wants to be... and she knew too well she might have been seriously hurt if it hadn't been for Puppetmaster. The soup cooked too soon for Jack and he got three bowls from the cabinet; his hands shook as he set them down and got a ladle. He nearly spills the soup just trying to fill the bowls; even once they are full he still shakes as he walks over to Mysterie with one of the bowls, setting it down before her.

"Thanks." She murmurs. Jack doesn't speak as he walks over to grab Puppetmaster's bowl; he walks upstairs slowly, his mind a battle zone at the moment, the negativity is making the darkness stronger as he knocks on the door of the room he knew Puppetmaster is in.

"Door's open." Comes the absent-minded reply, he's sitting in the middle of the bed, eyes close and body relaxed mostly. Jack sighs and walks in. He sets the bowl on the nightstand. He has only one question.

"What was I like when I lost control?" He asks, sucking in air as if expecting a physical blow.

"Which time?" He asks, not opening his eyes.

"B-both." He wants to know... had to know... Jack had to know why Mysterie is afraid as well. He shifts from foot to foot.

"Hmmm... Well, I don't remember mine exactly. I just remember thinking I was going to suffocate. Not a fun experience. As for her... by the time I got there to stop you, you looked ready to impale her with a katana." The dam breaks on Jack's emotions, breaking through the mask he's been trying to hide; all his emotions flickering across his face as he shakes his head in denial of it all, but the darkness in him grows stronger. Sensing this, he opens his eyes and gets to his feet; moving over to Jack, he wraps his arms around him gently.

"She'll get past it, eventually. Though I can't say how long it will take her... I wager that was a nasty reminder for her." 

 

 

Jack whines and leans into his touch in his sadness. He sighs a little, stroking Jack's back to comfort him.

"I just want it all to go away... the pain, the complications... all of it gone." Jack whimpered, calming slightly at the comfort. He sighs a little.

"I don't know anyone who wouldn't want that Jack, but that is just life." Jack clutches onto him.

"How do we deal with it? How do you deal with life?" Jack says, looking at him with wide eyes, innocence and hopelessness in them. He looks down at Jack, gently cupping one cheek with his hand as the look that Jack is giving him makes his heart squeeze painfully.

"With however we can. It's not always easy, but I wouldn't trade my life with you for anything in this world or the next." Jack sniffs.

"I want to learn control. I can't control my emotions... every time I get angry I... I just lose control." He says, feeling a tad hopeful.

"It's not about controlling how you feel, it's about keeping your emotions from controlling your thoughts and actions." Jack sniffles.

"How do I do that? It's really hard. My emotions are all over the place." He stays close to Puppetmaster and hugs him tighter. Puppetmaster smiles gently.

"Well, you seem to have already started. After all, you were afraid of me the other day and yet you've stuck around." Jack shakes a little bit.

"I was afraid of you, but it wasn't just me... it was this thing as well..." He gestures to his heart and how it hurt.

"You're not the same as Jamie, that's for sure."

"True that. After all, I am not Jamie. I'm only a part of him that he keeps locked away, like the darkness in you is a part of you. I am the darkness in his heart. Unlike most though I detest being feared simply for what I am. As for the thing in you... well, it has a right to be afraid because I don't like it." Jack sighs.

"It's only afraid you're going to puppet me so you can pull it from me. It can't survive without a host, right? That's what he's most afraid of is what I think." Jack leans in, feeling light headed; he closes his eyes as his legs begin to give out on him. Puppetmaster holds him up.

"Well, that is ONE option... though I think I'd rather save that option though as a last resort, considering that wouldn't be very pleasant for you either." Jack shivers.

"Please don't resort to that." He says sleepily, he fights to keep awake; trying to open his eyes but things are blurry as a voice echoes in him.

"Only if I have to Jack. I might not be Jamie, but the last thing I want to do is actually hurt you." He picks Jack up and moves to settle him onto the bed.


End file.
